Halo 2: Return of Samus
by Shadythief
Summary: Set during the events of Halo 2, the Covenant find something on the ring. A life pod, with someone still inside. This person may just end up shaping the course of the Human/Covenant war, and saving the galaxy. Will they be friend to the Master Chief, or foe? Read on to find out!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello all! This is one of my first attempts at writing, so please, throw all your critique at me! The only way I can improve is to know what I did wrong, and how to correct it.**

**Same with literally every fic ever, I do not own the rights to Halo or Metroid. Bungie and 343i owns Halo. Nintendo, Retro Studios and Team Ninja *shudders* Owns Metroid.**

Chapter One

'Where am I?' Samus thought to herself. It was the question she had been asking herself for a while now, as she lay there in the dark, unable to move. Truth be told there was a lot she couldn't remember, like how she even got here, or any of her memories at all. It had taken awhile for her to even remember her name.

'Great, yet another situation you have gotten yourself in Samus…' she thought, then paused. Where did that come from? It seemed some of her personality was coming back at least. She tried once again to remember something, anything. Memories she did manage to bring up were hazy, and unfocused. Mentally grunting in frustration, she tried to move, again. And again, she couldn't. She sighed internally, and started the process all over again…

'How much time has passed?' she thought, it had seemed like an eternity she had been stuck in….where ever she was.

'Why did I awaken now? There must be a reason…' Again, she came up blank.

'Hmm, maybe I should try to go back to sleep. It beats just sitting here like a-'she started thinking, when the most nerve wreaking pain she had ever felt assaulted her brain. She screamed noiselessly, her head feeling like it would split open.

It was then, that she saw it. A clear memory, finally she could get some answers, she thought as her head throbbed. The memory was of her, getting into what looked like a strange pod, with two figure standing either side. As she climbed in, she looks up at each one. One was thin, and appeared to be a woman. Her skin was a grayish color, and she wore robes made of what looked like pure silver. She didn't seem to have a nose like Samus did, but her face wore a smile, eyes warm.

The other figure was even stranger. With a lack of better words, he seemed to be a huge, bipedal bird. She didn't know how, but to her he seemed old, very old. His features were sharp, his feathers a dulling gray. But he too shared a warm look in his eyes. Samus couldn't help but feel an odd attachment to this strange creature. A name floated into her mind.

'Old…Bird…' she thought, and knew instantly it was his name. She tried to think of the woman's name, this time taking longer.

'Li…Librarian' she thought, rolling the word of her mental tongue. The name also seemed to fit.

Both Old Bird and the Librarian exchanged words, words she couldn't hear or remember, then Old Bird made an odd hand sign and slowly walked out of the room they were in, looking back as he did so. Samus felt incredibly distressed at watching him leave, but couldn't put her finger on why. After he was gone, the Librarian turned to a small pedestal next to her pod, and said something.

To her shock, a small man appeared on the pedestal, talking back. He was small, small enough that he could fit into her palm. He was a pale blue, and appeared to be see through. He wore what looked like a smart uniform of some kind, complete with an official looking hat. This man also seemed incredibly familiar, so much so that a name popped into her head within moment of seeming him. She smiled mentally, more memories of this small person flooding in.

'Adam…' she thought fondly. She couldn't remember how they had met yet, or how long she had known him, but she knew he was her best friend, and they both shared a bond.

The two talked for a while, before Adam seemed to sigh, and vanish. The Librarian turned to Samus, smiled, her eyes teary. She pushed something out of sight, and the memory started getting hazy again. She watched the pods doors start to close. She thought that was the end of the memory, and tried to fish for more. She was startled when she heard a voice, not her own. She focused on the memory again, listening to the voice. It was the Librarian, speaking to her as she fell asleep. She couldn't understand the words at first, having to play it over again in her head to understand a few times. The Librarian smiled.

"We will give everything to save the Galaxy from the Flood, but it's up to you, to ensure its future. Goodbye, Samus Aran". The words were lyrical, and yet contained pain. This must have been the last time she ever saw Samus. The pod doors closed, and the memory ended.

Samus didn't know what to think.

'Save the galaxy? From what?' she thought, her mind racing as she tried to remember more. 'She mentioned a flood of some kind….' She didn't know why, but thinking about that word send a shiver down her spine, and filled her with dread.

'And what did she mean, give everything?' she pondered. She imagined it had something to do with why she was in this pod in the first place, she certainly wasn't in here for a joy ride. She kept replaying the memory over and over again in her mind, making sure she hadn't missed anything, or something new might pop up, but no. It wasn't much, but it's all she had. Just as she felt like sleeping again, her mind exploded once again, except instead of feeling like screaming, she felt like cheering. 'Right, time to get some answers' she thought, and started combing through her mind once again, intent of finding out who she was and why she was here.

'My name is Samus Aran, and I am a bounty hunter, the best of the best. I brought the notorious space pirates to their knees, and helped save the galaxy from numerous calamity's, including the destruction of the Metroid parasites. I was freelance, but worked for a Galactic Federation, who are a conglomerate of alien races. I was born on….Hmm, ok, moving on.

I was raised by an ancient alien race called the Chozo, who trained me and gave me an armored suit, made in part of my people's technology, and part of theirs. I worked for the federation for a while when I was young, before setting out to be independent. I had few friends, one being Old Bird, who I thought of almost like a Father. Another was Adam, my old commander back in my Federation days. Even after I left, we kept in contact. I then got word that he had fallen during an attack on federation space. He was taken, and his mind brought back as an A.I, and was then promptly taken by me, no necessarily with the federations consent. Look, I had to do it, he was my friend, and I wasn't going to have them make him compute Pi all day.

Anyway, we traveled the galaxy together, arguing and saving people, usually with style. But that all changed when…..' She drew a blank. Samus had remembered a lot, including random bits and pieces, but couldn't make the connection between the first thing she remembered, and all this new stuff. She found this really, really frustrating, and felt a dire need to punch something, preferably squishy.

'Nice to see my personality hasn't changed' she thought with amusement, as annoyed as she was. She still hadn't figured out how to move or anything along those lines, but she was content with figuring out who she was first. After all, she had been in far worse situations, and had always come out on top.

'Right, from the top….My name is Samus Aran….'

Samus was really irritated now, bordering on anger. She bad been in here for what seemed like forever, and she hadn't made any new progress. She wanted to yell, or throw stuff. She supposed she could yell and throw stuff, but that seemed like over kill.

'Someone. Let. Me. Out. Now!' she raged in her head. So focused on her anger she was, that she didn't notice the noises. Subtle at first, but getting louder. A hissing sound, then a thud. She stopped her little rage fest, waiting to see if there was more to come. When nothing happened for about thirty seconds, she shrugged mentally, and was about to continue her self rant, when the darkness made way for light, bright white light, and the still air turned into a freezing wind. She also noticed she was moving, although not of her own accord. It seemed even gravity was going to make her life miserable, as she fell out of the vertical pod and landed in a heap on the floor, which was also cold.

She gasped loudly, to her it seemed it was the first breath she had taken in forever. 'I'm out, holy hell I'm out' she thought, seeming to hear her own voice for the first time. Her voice was slightly husky, yet distinctly feminine. It had a sharp, dangerous edge to it, and yet a hint of something akin to sarcasm. She gasped several more times, breathing in as much air as she could. She also noticed how cold she was, her body shivering. She had huddled into a ball on the floor instinctively.

She also noticed she was naked, which she felt should have bothered her more. It was also at this time she noticed other noises, noises she had assumed were her when she fell. Now however, she was conscious enough to notice it wasn't her, and wasn't a machine of some kind. It sounded like….voices.

'I'm not alone.. .' she realized. Her body took over. She shot up into a kneeling position and looked up. Straight into the face of something monstrous. She gulped.

'Well shit' she thought.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The creature blinked at her, and she blinked at it. They both stared at each other for a moment, the room silent. She used this time to get a good look at it, and now that she was, it wasn't nearly as frightening as she first thought. The thing was small, about her height sitting down. It was a stocky looking thing, with a series of lumps all over its body. Its skin was gray, and its eyes were small, and quiet dim looking. It wore what looked like some kind of breathing apparatus, with something attached to its back, probably a container full of whatever if breathed.

It tilted its head at her, almost looking like it was confused. The little guy looked quiet pitiful, now that she thought about it. It raised a hand towards her, which she grabbed quickly. Its skin felt dry and course. It let out a yelp, a high pitched noise, and pulled away, grabbing for something on its waist.

'A weapon' she thought. 'Well, good job Samus, you finally got out, only to be killed by a little hunched thing'.

She would try to fight anyway, because that's who she was. As she started getting up however, she realized they were not the only ones in the room. A huge, armored creature which had been standing by a door, was now grabbing the small 'grunt', and roaring at it.

The grunt screamed, and tried to pull away, only to go limp all of a sudden. The large one had pulled out some kind of energy sword, and silenced the grunt, which it then threw onto the floor. It rumbled something, and more of the little grunts came in, and took the now dead one away, leaving the big creature and a very startled, naked Samus alone in the room.

She waited for this thing to try and attack her too, but it did something the complete opposite. It got on one knee and kneeled before her, its head near the floor. It started to speak, in a language she couldn't understand, and yet seemed familiar. She racked her brain as the thing kept talking, trying to understand it, when it finally clicked, and like tuning in to a radio station, she heard it clearly.

"Forgive us most divine, that one was not worthy of your presence." It said, its voice deep and full of respect. Samus wasn't quite sure how to respond to that.

"Uhh…Apology accepted?" she said questioningly, her own voice out loud startling her. The creature seemed to nod, and slowly rise about a foot and a half taller than her. Its eyes seem to widen slightly as it took in her image, as if her appearance shocked it.

"Is, everything ok? Is it my lack of clothes?" she asked it, coming to the conclusion that it wasn't going to harm her.

"No, most divine. It is simply…I was told what to expect, but I still didn't picture your appearance as it is." He rumbled cryptically.

She stared at it. The creature was large, in width as well as height. It wore armor, seemed ornamental. It was a faint goldish grey, with faint marking all over it. It didn't cover its, no 'his' whole body, and where it didn't, she saw he had an under suit on. It was his face that was most interesting. His lower jaw was split into four mandibles. She wonders curiously how it could talk, before resuming her inspection. He was hunched, his head and neck coming forward from his body. His skin was a dark, brownish, almost black color. His hands only had four, huge fingers, and his legs bent backwards.

"What an odd creature you are, I don't think I've ever met one like you" she mused out loud, getting up and glancing around the room. His eyes seemed to widen slightly.

"Of course, forgive me Divine. My species are the Sangheili, and I am the Arbiter" he informed her, bowing slightly. "Our Covenant couldn't believe it when we found your life pod on the holy ring, and even more that you still live" he said, voice filled with something akin to pride.

"Still live? What do you mean, how long was I in there?" she asked him, taking a step towards him. The Arbiter blinked, his mandibles flexing slightly.

"You mean you do not know?" he asks slowly. Samus nodded, eagerly awaiting him to go on. "Most divine….you have slept for over one hundred thousand years…" She blinked, not sure she heard him right.

"Say….say again?" she asked, leaning on the pod she was in minutes ago. The Arbiter seemed to sigh, his eyes sad "I will wait for you in the hall most Divine, please gather what you will from this room" he says quietly, before turning his back and walking out.

Samus's mind was reeling.

'One hundred thousand years….Everything will be different, all my friends…' she thought, unable to finish her sentence. She felt like crying. Crying, and punching something. She lets out a yell, slamming a fist onto a small pedestal nearby.

"Hey, watch were your swinging those fists Lady" a voice called out, seemingly from the small post. Before her eyes, a small blue man appeared. He was dressed in a smart uniform, and was smiling at her. She couldn't believe her eyes, and burst into a big smile.

"Adam!" she shouted, "You're here, your alive! But, how…" Adam holds up a hand, adjusting his hat. "I don't know Samus, I can't remember anything. It seems I deleted some of my memory, probably to stay alive" he said. She nodded, knowing full well A.I's didn't have unlimited memory.

"But, how are you here now? Have you been conscious this whole time?" He shook his head. "No, I have only been active for approximately one hour, the same time that Covenant began opening your pod." She blinked.

"One hour? I was only awake….for one hour?!" she shouts, feeling angry again, remembering her rants and raves inside the pod. Adam frowned.

"Focus Samus. You need to eject me and grab your gear, then I guess we follow that Arbiter and figure out what's going on. Any objections, lady?" he asked, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. She smirks, and gave him a thumbs down. It was an old thing between them, and it hadn't died with age or time.

She inspected the pedestal and found a small eject able chip, which must have contained Adam. She pushed it, and grabbed the chip, placing it in a slot at the back of her head. As she did so, she felt a cool, strange sensation in her head.

'Ah, been a while since I've been in here'. Adam seemed to chuckle.

'Yeah yeah, don't get too comfortable, you're going in the suit soon' she laughed, making her way over to the storage compartment, pressing a button and watching it slide out. Inside was only one thing, a thin, blue suit, which seemed to cover the whole body save the head. Samus beamed at it .This was her 'zero' suit, and what allowed her to use her armor. She quickly slipped it on, and, looking around the room one last time, began to make her way out.

'How do you think the galaxy's changed? Do you think it's peaceful out there?' Adam asked, his voice casual, but laced with hints of doubt. She smirked, stretching near the door way.

'I don't know Adam, but we're going to find out, together' she thought. Her heart started pumping faster. It was a whole new world out there, and she was ready for another adventure. With a breath, she stepped out of the room, which had been her home for one hundred thousand years.

Her adventure began in a dull, light up corridor, one side taken up by the Arbiter, with other aliens behind him. He nodded at her, then beckoned her to follow him. She did just that, quickly falling in line behind him.

"So, where are we going Arby?" she asked casually, eyeing the aliens around them, some of which seemed none too happy to see her. The Arbiter glanced at Samus, she felt if he an eyebrow, it would be raised.

"I take you to one of our most revered Prophets, Regret." He rumbled, never stopping pace. She frowned to herself.

'Prophet huh, think he's a leader of some kind?' she thought. 'No doubt' Adam replied, his voice mixed with curiosity and worry.

As they walked down the corridors, an alien jumped between the Arbiter and Samus. It was small, and reptile like, and didn't seem happy to see her. She tried a smile and a wave, figuring it would show she was friendly. In response, the lizard Screeched at her, then stalked off before the Arbiter could grab it.

"Pay them no mind, most Divine. They are beneath you" he said, before turning to walk again.

"Why have I caused such a fuss? I thought you were all looking for me" she said to him, making him pause.

"We were, but….you were not what we expected" he said, once again with a hint of unknown meaning. She frowned, but dropped the subject, instead walking in silence behind him.

This continued for some time, the both of them walking alone strikingly similar corridors, gradually making their way up she noticed. By now, she was very bored.

"So…." She started, "Remind me again where we are exactly? My memory is a little fuzzy". The Arbiter turned his head, but kept walking.

"We are on Halo most Divine, the greatest creations of your people" he informed her, his voice filling with that pride again.

'Halo? Now that sounds familiar…' she thought, but the memories were still evading her. She was about to ask more when the scenery finally changed. They entered a large room, which contained openings up near the ceiling. She could see outside, noting the greens and blues.

'So we finally hit ground level, wow I was deep' she pondered, then realizing the room was full of occupants.

There were many aliens here, some of the little grunts, a few lizard things, and some Sangheili. These ones were dressed in much more advanced looking armor then the Arbiter, and all seem to ignore them completely, staring ahead as if some kind of honor guard. She continued her sweep of the room, and her eyes met with something she hadn't seen yet.

This alien was different yet again, looking as if it was an old man. Perhaps it was old, or maybe his whole people looked like that. 'Poor guys' she thought, amused. It sat in a chair, which hovered above the ground. It seemed frail, with loose light colored skin.

"This is her?" it asked the Arbiter in a lyrical voice. The Arbiter nodded.

"Yes noble Hierarch, this is the most Divine. She calls herself Samus Aran" he reported, obviously having done similar before.

"Samus…." The alien murmured, seeming to test the word on its lips. It waved a hand at the Arbiter dismissively, not looking at him.

"You may leave now Arbiter, you have other duties to attend to".

The Arbiter seemed like he was about to protest, then bowed his head and made his way out, giving Samus one last look before departing. She then stood there awkwardly for a moment, not sure what to do. She coughed. The Prophet seemed to snap out of a day dream.

"Ah yes, please come sit Samus, may I call you that?" he asked, beckoning one of the honor guard to grab a chair. She sat, eyeing him.

"You can, if I get to call you Regret" she said, folding her arms. He seemed taken aback, but smiled and nodded."Of course, anything for the last god" he said, settling down opposite her.

'Last god? They think I'm godly?' she thought, unable to stop it from going to her head. 'Focus Samus' Adam reminded her.

Regret seemed to compose himself. "So, Samus, I must ask. Did all of your people look as you do?"

she blinked. "Uhh, I guess so" she says, somewhat confused aby the question. "Do you mean blonde hair, pale skin?"

Regret blinked, eyes wrinkling slightly. "No…just as you look, your body shape and such."

Samus smirked. "Well then yes. Why, is that a problem?" she asked him, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

"Oh no no, not at all. We just…expected something else" he it was again, why was everyone shocked at her appearance?

"Samus, do you know if any other of your people survived?" he asked, leaning forward. She shook her head, frowning.

"I cannot remember, being asleep for one hundred thousand years does that to a person, but I don't think so" she informed him. He nodded, face unreadable.

"Well, this is cause for celebration. We must prepare, there is much to be done, we-"he is interrupted, as a Sangheili bursts in, bloodied up and panting.

"Noble Hierarch, most Divine, the Demon is here and is on his way. He slaughters all" the soldier managed to spit out, before collapsing in a heap. The room buzzes into activity, Honor guards taking positions and other troops heading outside.

"I'm sorry, a what now? Demon?" Samus says, pushing herself out of her seat. Regret nods.

"Yes, the Demon is the champion of our enemy. A heretical monster, who does not care who he destroys". Samus frowns.

"Well, seems like you need my help" she says, flexing.

"Oh no Samus, we must evacuate you". She snorts.

"Oh to hell with that, I haven't had a fight in a long, long time. I think I should show this Demon what a real warrior looks like" she declares, and with a single thought, she activates her armor.

The room fills with gasps as Samus is covered in light, and when it fades, where she was standing is now a large armored figure. The armor is a light Orange and Yellow, with a dark, deadly looking arm cannon. The visor and highlights are a bright green. She turns to the Prophet.

"Right, get to the back of the room, I will protect you" she says, her arm cannon powering up. Regret nods and smiles.

"It's an honor, most Divine". As he floats to the back of the room with some of his guard, Samus looks around the room, setting up her strategy. She thought excitedly, her mind racing.

'Right, I think it's time the Demon met the Hunter'.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey all! Wow three chapters, I'm on a roll. Now like I said before, this is one of my first attempts at writing, and my very first attempt at a fight scene. So if you could comment and tell me your thoughts, both good and bad, I would really appreciate it!**

**I dont own Halo or Metroid. Ok, on with the show!**

Chapter Three

John grunted as he snapped the Elites neck, letting it drop in a heap before him. He quickly scanned the immediate area, checking for more enemies.

'No hostile's remain' he thought to himself, as he stepped over the lifeless body of the Elite.

He stared out at the environment around him. It was beautiful to most, with bright blue waters and vast green landscapes, but to him, it was dangerous. He had come to this place, Halo, with the UNSC ship In Amber Clad, and had been deployed to the rings surface along with a handful of ODST's. Their mission had been to find and kill the Prophet of Regret, who they discovered was also on the ring.

John was alone now, his fellow soldiers falling at the hands of the Covenant. At the start of the war, this would always bother him, but now, he felt numb whenever he thought of it. He sighed into his helm, and turned his steely gaze towards his objective.

He was out in the middle of a vast lake, riding a large platform that was gliding above the surface. The platform was moving towards a large building at the centre, and that was where Regret was hiding. He grabbed his Battle Rifle, the BR55, and began inspecting it, checking it was functional.

"Cortana, is there any additional intel on what's waiting for us?" he seemed to ask no one. A smooth, female voice answered him

"Hold on, scanning. I detect fuel rod Emissions and at least…twelve Honor Guard" she replied in a somewhat cheerful voice, before adding "You know, don't you find it strange that the Prophet has so few protecting him?"

John grunted, grabbing a Beam Rifle from the dead body of a Jackal. "One step at a time" he said, aiming the weapon to get a closer look.

Several Jackal snipers had emerged from inside the building, and looked like they were lining up shots. He smiled beneath his helmet, and aimed his own rifle. Bright purple flashes filled the air, and both sides fired at each other. Two of the Jackals were dead before the fight even started, and there brethren squawked and fired with more gusto. One managed to hit John in the shoulder, his shields flaring bright gold as he took cover, waiting for them to recharge. The recharge didn't take long, and soon enough, he popped back out and took care of the others.

The platform reached the building, and more enemies, grunts started streaming out of the entrance, all of them carrying Fuel Rods. John sprinted, shoulder barging into one, and grabbing its cannon. He then ran at the others, flipping over them before any could react. As quick as he landed, he brought the Fuel Rod up and took quick aim, firing two precise shots. The grunts didn't stand a chance, and were obliterated.

"You did that to show off, didn't you?" Cortana commented. John didn't answer, instead grabbing another Fuel Rod and strapping it to his back. He peered inside the entryway, scanning the immediate area.

"There's two honor guards waiting just around the corners" she told him, before adding dryly "Are you going to give them a fair chance?"

John shook his head, taking careful aim with the cannon. "All is fair in war…" he muttered, firing two well-aimed shots, the sounds of Elites shouting and then silence hammering his point home.

He walked around the corner, inspecting his work. There was indeed two, now very dead, Honor Guards. John bent down and grabbed one of their Energy Swords, activating it and giving it a test swing. The super-heated plasma blade sizzled through the air, leaving a white flash in its wake. Satisfied, he deactivated the sword and added it to his growing arsenal.

"Regret will be in the other room, you ready John?" Cortana asked, no jokes this time.

John nodded, bringing his Battle Rifle to bear. "I am, let's get this done" he said, monotone, and entered the main room.

Regret was indeed there, and so was his guard. He was at the very back of the room, at the centre of a walkway lined with walls on either side. He sneered when he saw John.

"So, the Demon comes at last, to try and thwart the Journey" he spat, waving a hand. Most of his guard charged John at that signal.

John brought up his rifle and opened fire, all his shots carefully aimed and right on their target. Every single Elite now lay dead at his feet, and he stepped over them, making his way forward slowly. He knew not to get cocky here, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement. He could end the war, right here and now, or at least take a huge step towards it.

Regret was cowering now, hiding behind his last two guards, who watched john come with grim determination. John smiled, it would do them no good.

"John, this felt too easy, I don't know if-Chief!" Cortana shouted, detecting another contact, who had been hiding behind one of the walls.

John turned to face this new foe, and got a shoulder to his gut. The new opponent had tackled him, and judging by how much force was behind the blow, had done so very fast. They both hit the ground, enemy on top, who quickly leaped backwards. It was now that he got a good look and this new foe, and quickly realized this was nothing he had seen before.

The figure was fully armored, much like himself. It stood tall, perhaps half a foot shorted then he was armored. Its colors were strange, defiantly not Covenant. Its top half seemed a pale orange, and its inner legs were yellow. Its visor, and highlights on the armor, shone a bright green. It was the cannon however, that really got his attention. On its right arm was a large, dark cannon of some kind. It seemed to be a part of the armor, not an extra weapon. Whatever it was, it looked dangerous.

John took all this in in a second, and in that second the armored figure had landed, and raised its weapon. The tip of it began to glow, and energy rippled along its sides. John knew what was happening, it was charging a shot.

He quickly rolled and flipped away, a large yellow blast hit the ground where he was moments ago. He levelled his rifle and opened fire, quickly retreating behind a wall of his own. The enemies had shields, which flashed a bright red, and it too took cover. John glanced at his radar, he couldn't see its movement. He grimaced, and reloaded his weapon. Seemed like the Covenant finally had their own hero.

* * *

><p>"Adam, what can you tell me about this thing, can the scan visor see anything?" Samus asked seriously, peeking out of her cover.<p>

"Only some basics, and things that are obvious" he replied, all business. "It seems that whatever it is, has gone under enhancement surgery. Samus, this thing is a lot stronger then you are. Do not get close."

She nodded. "Anything else?"

"Yes, while I couldn't get a good look at him, I did scan his weapon. It's primitive, firing ballistic rounds, not plasma."

She laughed. "Seriously? And the Covenant fear this guy?" she asked, finding that particular detail hilarious.

She moved out of her cover and fired of a few shots from her power beam, keeping it pinned in cover. She quickly darted around the side, firing a missile at its hiding spot, only to find he wasn't there.

"Shit" she muttered, looking around the environment.

She quickly switched to her thermal visor, but saw nothing. Did it have heat cloaking? She switched to the hopefully more helpful X-ray visor, and was promptly greeted with a fist to the face. She fell backwards, quickly recovering and firing of several more shots. The thing ran behind cover, its movements a blur.

She growled, deciding enough was enough. She changed her weapon, switching to the Plasma Beam, and fired off a charged shot at the wall it was hiding behind. Most of the wall melted, turning into liquid metal. The thing ran out, flashing gold, probably its shields. It threw a small projectile at her, and sprinted forward.

'Grenade!' she thought, dashing to the side, moving out of dangers way. In this time, the demon had closed the gap. He pulled out what seemed like just a handle, which quickly flared into a sword made of light.

"Must be plasma" she mused, dodging his first attempt at a swing. He was relentless, his strikes precise and deadly. It was clear that this Demon had been doing this for a long time, he was dangerous.

She broke off there little dance, changing into her morph ball and shooting backward, leaving a few bombs in her wake. The Demon paused, obviously startled at her change, and didn't notice the bombs. It was caught in several explosions, and she noticed its shields break. It ran for cover, faster than she could fire her shots. She smiled however, she knew it had no shields anymore, and it would take forever for them to recharge.

Which of course, meant she was shocked when it popped back up a moment later, firing its primitive rifle. She hit it twice, and saw with astonishment its shields were back.

"How the hell-"she started to say, before dodging a punch and sending a kick back its way. She caught in in the back of the head, making it flinch. It did, however, grab her leg and pull. She went flying, slamming into the ground.

"Now that hurt…" she mumbled, this thing was indeed strong. If she wasn't wearing armor, she was sure that would have killed her. She quickly rolled away before it could hit her again, firing a missile at it. It managed to dodge, the splash damage from the missile making its shields flare. It turned, pulling something large and yellow off its back.

It fired, a big green projectile, which flew right into her and exploded. When the smoke cleared however, she was still standing, no worse for wear.

"Adam, what was that?" she asked, weirded out that it didn't seem to do anything.

Adam replied instantly. "It seemed to be some sort of radiation based projectile. No wonder it did no damage…"

She glanced at her shield meter. This things continuous hits had chipped away at her shields. She had hoped to simply outlast the time, but seeing as its shields recharged ridiculously quick, that was no longer a option. Its punches and kicks were powerful, and she couldn't let it land any more hits, she needed to end this soon.

It started running at her, sword in hand. This time, Samus had a plan. As it got close, it swung, but instead of pulling away, she moved closer. She moved inside his arms reach, and grabbed his hand. Before he could pull away, she charged her plasma beam, firing it point blank at the weapons hilt.

The sword flickered out, the handle melted, and the Demon shoved her away, throwing the weapon aside. It took out what seemed like a glowing blue ball, and threw it at her. It was fast, and she couldn't dodge in time, the sticky blue ball making a thud as it landed on her chest.

"An explosive..." she concluded, and judging by how is was getting brighter, it was about to blow.

She had an idea, and grinned inside her helmet. She quickly lunged forward, plummeting into it, and held on. It tried to shake her off, but to no avail. There was a bright blue explosion, and both were sent flying.

Samus landed and shook her head. She checked her shields, still going strong, but lower then she would have liked. She looked at her opponent, who was also getting up, slowly. Clearly the blast had damaged it, more than her.

'Oh no you don't…" she thought viciously, running forward and pinning a boot on it. She then switched to her wave beam, crackling bolts of purple electricity flowing along her cannon. She fired a charged shot, stunning it. Then, while it was disoriented, she picked it on and threw it against a wall, switching to her ice beam and firing a charged shot, pinning it in place.

Letting out a breath, she knew she had won. She dusted herself off and looked at the Prophet, giving him a nod. He seemed stunned, and did not move. He honor guard's mandibles were open, clearly shocked about what they had witnessed.

"Adam, scan it now, try and hack in. I want to know more about it before I destroy it" she said, slightly out of breath.

"Of course Samus, starting now…" Adam muttered, indicating he had already started.

She looked over the Demon, now that it wasn't trying to kill her. It was tall, it looked slightly taller then she was. It was a huge, bulky suit of armor, which was colored a deep, dark green. Its visor was a bight gold, much like its shields were. As she was inspecting it, she noticed something creepy. It was watching her, conscious. She walked up to it, tilting her head.

"Good fight solider, but now I'm afraid it much come at an end, as all good things do. Do you have any last words?" she asked out loud, her voice distorted by her helmet, making her sound like a robot.

The thing remained silent, not moving save for its head, which followed her every move. Could it even understand her? She didn't know, and didn't really care. All that remained was to end the fight at hand.

She slowly brought her cannon to bear, and switched to her power beam. She started to charge it up, and aimed for its head. She sighed, something about this made her feel….sad. It still didn't say anything, obviously waiting for death. She looked at it for one last moment, and then began to release the shot.

"Samus wait!" Adam shouted, his voice full of alarm and excitement.

She quickly pulled her cannon away, the shot firing harmlessly against a nearby wall. She turned away from her captive, annoyed at having been interrupted.

"What is it Adam? Did you get something from its armor?" she asked, her voice hinting at not liking his sudden outburst.

"You have no idea Samus. I've updated your voice translation software, tell him to remove his helmet" Adam said, his voice full of something along the lines of amazement.

She paused, not sure where he was going with this, but complied. She turned and fired a shot at the ice around the Demons right arm, freeing it.

"Remove your helmet" she ordered it, in an as imposing voice as she could muster.

It, no he, stared at her for a few seconds, and she got the gist he was having a conversation she couldn't hear. Then, he slowly raised his hand, and started removing his helmet. There was a hissing noise, and then the helmet was raised, then lowered. When he had fully removed it, he stared at her once again.

Samus froze. To say she was surprised was an understatement, she was shocked. She could hardly process what she was seeing. Her arm lowered, and she just stood there, staring dumbly at the man before her.

"He's…..he's….." she stuttered.

"He's human Samus, his name is John, or Master Chief" Adam informed her, his voice full of excitement.

'Human?' that word sparked something in her, it sounded familiar, almost as if…

The obvious conclusion hit her like a truck. SHE was human, he was what she was. Memories flooded into her, her mind barely able to process what she was seeing. There were rings, giant rings in space. Two ancient races, at war with one another. Human and…forerunner. The humans were near wiped out. She was hidden by the Chozo, and trained as one of them.

She also remembered something horrible, something evil. A parasite, and all-consuming hunger. The Flood. She…she was saved by Old Bird and the Librarian, placed in stasis to survive the Halo's firing. All this and more she remembered.

She stumbled, taking a step back. This man, John, watched her with an unreadable expression. Still reeling from what she had discovered, she thought a moment, and decided that fair is fair. He took his helmet of, so…

Samus closed her eyes, and commanded her suit to disable the helmet…


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey all! Wow chapter four, never thought I would get this far. I have just had this idea in my mind for awhile now, and wanted to get it out on paper...or the internet. As always, please comment your thoughts, good and bad, and enjoy!**

**I dont own Halo or Metroid, yada yada, you know how it goes.**

John grunted as he hit the wall, the force of the blow knocking the wind out of him. Before he could react, he was held fast by another blast, this time made of ice. He shook his head, slightly concussed. He tried to break the ice, but it wouldn't budge. He was stuck, and judging by how his opponent seemed to calm down, he was beaten.

John glared at this strange fighter, his mind reeling about the things it could do. First of all, was its main weapon, which seemed able to switch firing modes and fire different types of energy weapons? How? He had no clue. It also seemed to be almost as strong as he was, that last blow still throbbing. It didn't seem to be as fast, but this was a closed environment, so for all he knew it was faster. And finally, among other things, was the fact it could turn into a ball and drop bombs…John had to think about that more than once.

His opponent dusted itself off, then looked at the Prophet, seeming to nod.

'So, is it Covenant? Maybe a new species?' John thought to himself. He had never seen anything like this fighter.

It then turned to him, its head tilting slightly. John felt like it was peering into his soul, none of his secrets safe. It slowly started making its way over to him, not cautiously, more like a cat who knew he had caught a mouse.

"Cortana, can you give me anything on this enemy? Cortana?" John asked her, but she wasn't answering.

For a moment, he feared that the EMP the thing hit him with had fried her too, but then he saw a comforting blue flash in his heads up display. So, she was here, but not answering, probably busy analyzing the enemy.

The thing walked right up to him, near visor to visor, and just stared for a moment. John stared right back, not wanting to back down. And then out of the blue, it spoke.

"Good fight solider, but now I'm afraid it must come at an end, as all good things do. Do you have any last words?" it asked, its voice tinny and robotic.

Was this thing a Forerunner robot? It was possible, and it would certainly explain its advanced weaponry. But John didn't think so. It was small things, the way it moved, that made him think something was inside that orange armor.

He didn't reply, in part because he didn't want to give this thing any satisfaction, and in part because he hadn't given up yet. He would find a way out of this, and beat this thing, he was sure of it. Cortana would come up with something, or the ice would melt.

It stared at him a moment longer, then took a step back and slowly raised its cannon. The tip began to glow, golden energy lighting up along the side. He knew what this was, it was charging up. It was getting ready to execute him. For a moment, John doubted he would get out of this.

The thing seemed to sigh as it charged its weapon, still looking at him. John closed his eyes. After everything he had been through, this would be how he went down. And the hands of a strange warrior.

'As good a fight as any…' he thought, eyes closed, waiting for the final strike.

He heard the shot being fired, but still felt very much alive. Confused, he opened his eyes again, what he saw shocked him. The thing looked like it had been slapped. It had fired into a nearby wall instead of him, and its body language indicated it was annoyed.

'Did Cortana hack into its armor?' he wondered, and right on queue…

"John! You…you're not going to believe this!" She exclaimed, her voice full of excitement, then same kind as when they found halo.

Before he could ask, the thing had regained its composure. It walked back up to him, its movements cautious. It gave him another once over. Then fired a shot at his arm, breaking the ice around it.

"Remove your helmet" it ordered him, standing there expectantly.

Now he was confused. His helmet? What did that have to do with anything. He almost felt like refusing to do it, just on principle.

"John do it, trust me" Cortana told him, that excitement still present.

He grunted. "Cortana, what's going on?" he asked her, trying to keep his confusion out of his voice.

"Do it, and you will find out" she chuckled mysteriously.

John sighed, then began the process for removing his helmet. He disconnected the air valves, the air hissing out of the tubes as a result. Then, he slowly started raising the helmet off his head. He felt the air from outside brush against his skin, and odd sensation after spending some time in his armor. When he had fully removed it, he looked back up, trying to keep his calm look on his face.

The thing took a step back, and looked like someone had slapped it. He got the sense that he wasn't what it expected. He tried to move his other arm sneakily, but it was still held fast by ice. The thing shook its head slightly, and then gazed at him, for what felt like an eternity. John held that gaze, again refusing to be the first one to look away.

What happened next made his eyes widen, despite himself. Its helmet began to glow, and fade away in a bright light. As it did, he saw details of what was underneath. Long, bright golden hair fell out the sides, like a river of liquid gold. Its skin was pale, almost as pale as his own, and flawless, not one mark on it, save for a small beauty mark just under her mouth on the left side. It…no, her, eyes were a striking shade of blue, deep and vibrant.

She wore a face of shock, staring at him like he was a ghost. He too was shocked, but more confused.

"I don't….your human?" he managed, as his mind tried to wrap around the concept.

She didn't say anything, just kept staring. She took a deep breath, seemingly to calm herself.

"Took the words right out of my mouth…" she chuckled nervously, attempting humor, which was lost on him.

He frowned. "How…" he started to say, but she interrupted him, holding up a hand.

"It's a long story, and I'll be happy to fill you in, after I get you down from there" she said, stilling seeming shocked.

She made her way over to him, and her cannon changed again, into the red version that shot plasma, he remembered. The tip of the weapon changed again, becoming smaller. When she fired it, the beam was smaller, more compact, like a lazar drill of some kind. She cut his bonds, letting him fall and catch himself. He stood back up and looked down at her, trying to figure out what was going on still. It was of course at this point, that the forgotten Prophet of Regret spoke up.

"Most Devine, what are you doing? Kill the Demon!" he shouted, cowering behind his last two guards.

She frowned. "I don't get it, why is he a bad guy, he's the same as me, right?"

Regret blinked, not sure how to answer that. "The humans are heretics, who need to be wiped out Samus, and you are no human" he told her, eyeing John behind her.

John was hopelessly confused now. They thought she was a Forerunner? He puzzled that over a moment, when he happened to glance at this Samus.

Her face had changed from confusion and shock, to that of anger and rage. She was glaring at the Prophet, a murderous look in her eye.

"You fool, I am human" she said quietly, but with a voice that promised violence. Regret blinked, again not sure how to respond. Before he could, she spoke again.

"And you kill humans…" she growled. Her cannon started charging.

Regrets eyes widened in alarm. He barked orders at his guards, who charged forward without question. She fired two quick shots at each, the plasma passing through there shields like it wasn't even there. One was hit in the chest, going down screaming as his innards melted. The other copped the blast to his head, not making a sound as he went down.

She turned to Regret, and noticed he was talking into a device, probably calling for help. She rushed forward, and snatched it out of his hands, crushing it with her own. Regret let of a little scream, and attempted to hover away. Samus grinned viciously and kicked him out of his chair. He yelp as he fell, trying to crawl away. She planted a boot on his back, and with no words of ceremony, no cool catch phrases, fired a single shot into his head, killing him instantly. She stood there a moment, looking at her kill with a hard stare.

"Seems I was misled by this Covenant. Sorry if I hurt you too much soldier boy" she says loudly, looking back up at him.

By this point, John had but his helmet back on. He looked at her a moment, not sure what to make of the situation.

"Its fine" he rumbled, watching her as she came towards him.

She tilted her head, and half smiled. "You don't talk much do you?" she chuckled.

"No, I do the talking most of the time" Cortana replied, appearing on a holo projector nearby.

Samus's eyes widened for a moment, then she grinned. She held out her hand, and a small blue man appeared on her palm. He seemed to be wearing a military uniform, and had the air of an officer.

"It's a good thing I managed to catch you attention, lady Cortana" He chuckled.

Cortana rolled her eyes. "Oh sure Adam, laugh it up. That wasn't a tense moment at all" she joked, with a hint of a smile on her lips.

Adam shrugged, then looked up at Samus. "This man is known as the Master Chief, Samus. He seems to be the equivalent of yourself in this time" he informed her, ever serious.

She looked at him with an appraising eye, then her face changed, taking on a more business appearance.

"Well, what happens now?" she asked him, hand on her hip, waiting for his reply.

John wasn't sure. He wasn't even sure what kind of situation this was. Was it first contact? He didn't think so, she was human. And yet, she was so different. His mind reeled with trying to find an answer, and then, like a fog clearing, he knew what he had to do. He didn't know the situation called for, but he knew who would.

"I need to bring you to my commanding officer, Captain Keyes. She will know what to do" he informed her, retrieving his weapons from where they fell, scattered around the room. She watched him, striking blue eyes following his every move. She must be beautiful, he realized. He was sure if he wasn't a Spartan, he would have found her to be beautiful. The thought of her around regular marines crossed him mind for a moment, before he remembered the trashing she gave him, and the now dead bodies around them, and decided she was more than capable of taking care of herself.

Just as he had finished, Cortana spoke up. "Uhh guys, we have Covenant capital ships inbound, there're preparing to open fire on our position!" she shouted, "We need to leave, now!"

Without words exchanged, John looked at Samus, whose helmet re-appeared, and they both nodded and ran for the exit, John in the lead. Upon getting outside the building, there was no time to sight see, as a capital ship was flying ever closer, its center starting to glow. He knew what that meant, an energy projector, or more commonly known as a glassing beam.

"Move, now!" John shouted, running for a ledge that led to a lower part of the outside, jumping over and falling. He landed, and was somewhat pleased to hear Samus land next to him. At least she could keep up with him, it seemed. Both got up and ran for it, running towards another ledge, this one leading straight to the lake itself. John never looked back, but she must have.

"Look out!" Samus yelled, pushing him over the edge before she leapt herself. There was a blinding flash, and a huge explosion, and both were sent plummeting towards the water in different directions.

John hit the water like it was concrete, and the force knocked him out. He tried to remain conscious, as he started sinking beneath the surface. Just as he started to black out, he heard a voice. He didn't know if it was his mind, or if it was real, but it sent shivers down his spine. The sound reminded him of evil, of despair, and of fear all at once. It sounded like a thousand voices screaming at once, it sounded like the promise that all lives ended. It sounded like death.

"This is not your grave…but you are welcome to it…"

* * *

><p>Samus awoke with a start, sitting up in alarm. She last had remembered that huge explosion, John and herself slamming into the water, and then nothing. She checked her surroundings, keeping an eye out for John. She had washed up on the shoreline it seemed, the building they were near now a flaming wreckage. She noticed that her new friend wasn't nearby.<p>

"Adam, any idea where the Chief went?" she asked him, getting up slowly, making sure nothing was broken.

"I do, but you won't like it. I'm in contact with Cortana now. She tells me that John was dragged under the lake, by what she can't tell yet" he informed her gravely.

She looked out over the lakes surface, thinking. "We have to go after them" she declared, preparing her suit to adapt to an underwater environment, otherwise known as her 'gravity' suit function.

"Samus, John told us we need to go find his commanding officer" Adam groaned, knowing he wouldn't win, but trying none the less.

She shook her head, beginning to enter the water. "No, he's the only friend I have right now, and I don't want him eaten by a giant fish…oh god, I hope there aren't any giant fish, hate those things" she jokes humorlessly.

Adam sighs. "Fine, but we need to be smart about this, no running in guns blazing, we don't know what has him" he warned.

She rolled her eyes. "When have I ever done that?" she asked. Not waiting for his answer, she started making her way down to the bottom of the lake.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello everyone, and welcome to the next chapter! I tried to make this one feel alot more like metroid, along the lines of primes Sunken Frigate area. Please leave a comment to tell me your thoughts, both good and bad.**

**I dont own halo or metroid. If I did, then a crossover game would have happened ages ago...now, on with the show!**

Chapter Five

'Well, at least there aren't any giant fish' Samus mused to herself.

She had been slowly walking along the lake bed, which was slopping downward, for the last fifteen minutes. The water had gradually gotten darker and murkier, her visor a bright green amongst the darkness. The lake was devoid of life, with the exception of a few small fish that darted away at her presence.

"I didn't suspect there would be, but I already informed you of that" Adam replied dully, having gotten bored of the scenery.

Samus sighed. "You know, there's no need to be such a downer all the time. We are alive after all" she reminded him, scanning ahead for any sign of John or where he might have gone. "Are you still tracking Cortana?"

"Yes, she's just…huh, I lost the signal" he replied, confusion in his voice. "It's possible that they might be too deep….or maybe something's blocking them on purpose."

"Yep, ever the downer" she groaned, keeping her eyes sharp. There might not have been any fish to worry about, but who knew what could be at the bottom of the lake.

They continued in this fashion for another fifteen minutes, at which point even Samus was getting a bit bored. She continually scanned her surroundings, but was no longer paying attention to minor details. Which of course meant that when she bumped right into a moss covered control panel in front of her, she was more than shocked. She fell right over it, landing face first on the other side. She quickly jumped back up, whirling around, cannon raised. Of course, the panel simply sat there, unmoving.

"…That didn't happen, ok?" she said to Adam, her voice hinting at violence.

Adam laughed, sounding like he enjoyed that more then he should have.

"My lips are sealed lady, I won't utter a word, promise" he chuckled.

She rolled her eyes and lowered her arm, moving closer to inspect the controls. They were covered in moss and other underwater plant life, but otherwise seemed fine. She brushed her hand along the front, clearing most of the plants off. Some stuck to her hand, which she gave a quick wave, shaking the gunk off. She examined the controls, not having a clue what they were for. She gave it a quick scan and found out it was a drain control, its only purpose to open and close a drain.

"Well isn't that handy?" she muttered sarcastically.

Adam made a noise, indicating he was thinking. "Hmm….Samus, this might be where they went. If the drains big enough, they would have gone under the lake bed, where all kinds of things could interfere with a signal."

She considered that, and decided he was right. That, and the only other option was too head back the way they came, and she wasn't about to go plodding under this lake again. She looked at the controls again, this time focusing more. She felt a strange compulsion to push a certain button. She hesitated for a moment, unsure.

"Ah screw it" she muttered, pressing the holographic button. Nothing happened.

"…Are you kidding me?" She shouted, outraged.

Just as she was about to go storming off, probably to shoot some poor little fish, the ground underneath her opened up. Before she could react, she was sucked into the now giant hole on the floor, the last of the light disappearing. She bumped against the sides of this tunnel multiple times, becoming very much disoriented. It seemed to twist and turn, and she no longer knew which way was up.

She scrapped against another wall, and again put her hand out, trying to hold onto something, anything, that might stop her progress down the tunnel. She was starting to feel sick, having spun around so much, and her shields had even taken some damage. Nothing major, but enough to warrant some concern. Just as she was about to go flying into the middle, and probably slam into another wall, her hand found purchase. A small rock, jutting out of the side of the tunnel. She held on tight, fighting the current, but she had come to a standstill.

"Holy hell!" she shouted, shaking her head, trying to get her bearings.

"I thought it was fun" Adam remarked casually.

Too distracted to reply, she went through some of her visor modes, attempting to see what was around her. Thermal showed nothing, but her X-ray showed her enough. She was actually near the end of the tunnel, which only had two more bends in it, before opening up into a large chamber, only partly filled with water. Deciding to suck it up a few more seconds, she let go of her handgrip, resuming her fast paced water slide.

It was seconds later she came flying out into the next chamber, leaving the water entirely and landing on a solid metal floor. She groaned, slowly getting back up, making sure she was in one piece.

"Samus, look…" Adam told her. She turned around, and gasped.

The chamber they were in looked like it had once been some kind of purification plant, designed to cycle and clean the water from the lake. In its prime, she imagined it would have looked clean, crisp, and the whirr of machinery would have filled the air with its hum. Now, half the room was flooded, the machines barely functioning. The room's lights flickered, some just outright ruined. She slowly did a full circle of the room, giving everything a quick scan.

Most, if not all of the machines and walls had plants growing out of them. Strange looking plants, their colors dull and sickly. She examined one closely, and discovered it was emitting spores, which would float in the air, settle down, and make a new plant. Some kind of reproduction she figured. Her suit gave a warning signal when she remained too close, so she backed off, glancing around the room again.

"Adam, do you see a way out of here?" she asked him, eyeing the hole they had emerged from. It was obviously not meant to be there, meaning the water had corroded it over time, or something else had broken the wall.

"Yes, to your left is a door, which I can open" he informed her.

She turned left, spotting the door covered in the plant like things. She switched to her plasma beam, charging a shot. Then she decided to have some fun. She fired a missile while charged, creating a flamethrower effect. The plants seemed to thrash as she burned them, but soon her path was clear, and she went on through the door.

The other side lead to a huge corridor, some of the plants growing around the doorway, but otherwise, the hallway was clean and clear, like it was only made yesterday. She gave a quick look both ways, making sure no danger lurked nearby. Satisfied that she wasn't in immediate danger, she questioned Adam.

"Can you detect them down here?" she asked him, continually glancing at both ends of the corridor.

Adam didn't answer for a moment. "…I just got a ping from Cortana, there down here. Take the right side" he told her, all business.

She nodded, and started making her way down, keeping her arm raised in case of an ambush. She reached the end of the hallway, and glanced around the corner. All clear it seemed. She continued in this fashion for a while, Adam telling her what directions the ping had come from. She made sure to not let her guard down, keeping her mind focused. She eventually reached another door, which according to Adam led into another chamber. She tried to X-ray, to see if anything was waiting for them, but she couldn't see through the metal walls. With a sigh, she switched back to her combat visor, took a breaching stance next to the door, and counted to three. On three, she opened the door and darted in, hiding behind a nearby wall. What she saw upon peeking out horrified her.

They looked like the plants she had seen earlier, only these were no plants. Some walked, others seemed to crawl, and even a few didn't move at all, their bodies fused with the walls. They had the same colors and tendrils the plants had. They made horrid noises, screeching, wailing and moaning. She quickly scanned one and darted back behind her wall, amazed she hadn't been discovered.

"Adam, bring up that scan data" she whispered, aware they couldn't hear her in the suit, but remaining quiet all the same.

He did just that, the information flashing up on the screen. She had a pit in her stomach, knowing deep down what this was, but wishing it was anything but. Her suits readings indicated she was right.

'Subject has been consumed by parasitic infection. Almost none of the original host remains, its tissues converted into more of the parasites infective spores. Subject has almost no higher brain function active, its movements controlled through the organism in its chest. Data reveals this to be a Flood infection spore. Threat level: High.'

She stopped breathing. The flood. The galactic threat her people had vowed to destroy, and almost had, until the Forerunners brought them to the brink. Weakened by the war with the humans, the forerunners were unable to match the flood conventionally, and had to resort to using the halo super weapons to wipe out all intelligent life, except for her. She forced herself to breath, trying to calm her thoughts.

'If the flood survived…oh god, none of these backwater civilizations will be able to stop them!' she thought, attempting to remain calm. She wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn't notice the thing next to her.

Suddenly realizing she wasn't alone, she peered to her right, not moving an inch. One of the flood forms had stumbled onto her little hiding spot, and was simply standing there dumbly, not making any aggressive moves towards her.

"Uhh Adam, why it is not trying to eat me?" she asked him quietly, not daring to move.

Adam sounded just as worried as she did. "It's possible your suits shielding is masking you, tricking it into thinking you're not alive or organic" He said slowly, as if one wrong word would trigger the thing to attack.

"Well I can't sit here forever, find a way out of this room" she snapped, the stress of the situation getting to her.

The flood moved in front of her, peering into her visor. She could now see it had once been Sangheili, but was not anymore. Its body was warped, its limbs distorted and growths sprouting out of its skin. The worst bit was its head, which was now flopping on its back, mandibles waving as it moved. Its head had been pushed back, probably due to the little infection spore that now rested in its upper chest to its neck. It had burrowed in, ribs and gore around the outskirts. It's red, feathery appendages brushing up against her visor, as if searching for a way around it. She wasn't sure how much of this she could take, sweat trickling down her nose, hardly breathing.

Adam interrupted, almost making her jump, almost. "There is a small pipe at the other end of this room that you could fit into in your morph ball" he told her, worry present in his voice. "You're going to have to make a run for it."

She had suspected as much, but none the less was dreading what came next. Giving a silent prayer for herself, she gathered her thoughts, took a breath, and spun into action.

The flood didn't have time to register as she rushed forward, pressing her cannon into the infection spore, and firing a charged shot, destroying it, and causing the body to collapse. The other figures in the room screeched, and rushed towards her location, all intend on ripping her from her armor.

Samus remained as calm as she could, switching to her ice beam and opening fire, always moving forward. Flood forms everywhere froze in place, some only partly, other completely. But there were too many for this to work on all of them, and they just kept coming. She ducked and weaved around them, always moving towards the other end of the room.

One managed to jump and grab her, pulling her down. It screamed in her face, raking a claw like appendage against her chest, her shielding flashing red in protest. She grunted, kicking the thing off her, and finishing it with a charged shot from her power beam. Another lunged, but she dodged this one, choosing to run for it instead. She was almost at the end when another flood grabbed her from behind, pulling her into a bear hug.

It screeched, spewing some type of goo on her, making her shielding drop alarmingly. She grunted, trying to push away, but it had her held tight. She was starting to get desperate, when an idea formed in her head. It was risky, if they caught her again she wouldn't be able to escape, but it was her only option. She ceased struggling, and changed into morph ball, laying a bomb at the floods feet and rolling away. She boosted, charging straight for the opening in the wall, flood right behind her, trying to grab the little ball.

Just as one caught up with her, she made it inside, not stopping even though she was safe. She rolled through the pipe as fast as she could. She emerged on the other side some few minutes later, immediately changing back to her normal appearance. She whirled on the pipe, switching to her plasma beam, and opened fire on the entrance, reducing it to molten metal, which cooled to block the hole.

She stood there for a moment, unmoving. She imagined the flood gathered around in the other room, wailing and screaming about their lost prey. She turned and leaned against a wall, slowly sliding down until she was sitting, back against the wall. She remained this way for a while.

Adam spoke up, his first words since the encounter. "Samus…are you-"he began to say, but she cut him off.

"Just give me a moment, please" she snapped, her voice full of the adrenaline from earlier, but hinting that she was on the verge of tears.

Adam did just that, remaining silent for her benefit. She sat and tried to regain her breath. The flood terrified her. She had been in the thick of it all, one hundred thousand years ago. She knew what they were capable of, what they could do, had done. She had lost so many to the flood, fellow bounty hunters and friends. They had almost consumed all, until the forerunners wiped all sentient life off the galactic map.

After a few minutes, she regained control of her breathing. She slowly stood back up, and looked at the melted wall she had made in her panic. She glanced around, finding she was in another huge corridor. She sighed, her fear slowly subsiding, until she was in control again.

"…If you're alright now, I got another ping from Cortana, they are very close" Adam told her cautiously, weary of another lash from her.

She nodded, readying herself. "Which way?"

Adam told her, and she made her way through the corridors once again. As she was turning around another corner, she spotted something in the distance. It seemed to be a huge tentacle, flood like in appearance. She was making ready to run again when she noticed it was dragging something along with it. Something big and bulky. Something green, with a golden visor.

"Oh hell…" she groaned, realizing that it was John. She paused a moment, unsure of how to proceed.

"Do you have a plan?" Adam asked, ever serious.

She remained silent for a moment, mulling something over in her head. "No, I don't. But I can't let him be taken by the flood. I have already lost too much because of this parasite, I won't lose the only friend I have now…"

Adam, uncharacteristically, didn't object. "I know what you mean…come on, we can do this" he said, trying to be encouraging.

She nodded, readied her weapon, and with a big sigh and an feeling of dread, she made her way forward, cautiously following the path that led to John…

* * *

><p>John awoke slowly, his mind groggy. He last remembered the explosion, and Samus Aran shoving him into the water, in some kind of an attempt to protect him.<p>

'Well, show's what she knew' he thought, irritant.

His mind slowly cleared up, taking in his surroundings. He was in a dark, long hallway, which seemed to be moving. He blinked, wondering if he was still concussed.

"John, please wake up" Cortana said in his ear, her voice full of unusual worry.

"I'm here, where are we?" He asked her, mind gradually clearing up.

He quickly realized that the corridor wasn't moving, he was. With an alarmed grunt, he immediately tried to move, and soon realized he was being dragged by something, which had wrapped itself around him, pinning him in place.

Upon him starting to struggle, the movement increased, whatever was dragging him had picked up the pace. He was soon dragged into a huge, dark room, and pulled up into the air, held there by his tentacle prison. He struggled more, then soon stopped, realizing he wasn't alone in the room.

Something, something huge was at the other end, and judging from the tendril that held him, he assumed this was his captor. It slowly emerged from the darkness.

"What, is that?" Cortana asked, too shocked for a witty remark.

John's eyes widened at its appearance, and even more so when it spoke back.

"I…am a monument, to all your sins…"


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey all! Here we are at chapter six. Please leave comments, both good and bad. And thank you for reading.**

**I dont own any rights towards Halo or Metroid.**

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><p>Chapter Six<p>

John stared at the thing before him. He could scarcely describe it, but to the best of his abilities, it looked like a living pile of corpses. It was a huge creature, covered in fleshy bits. It was the general shape of a snake, with tentacles, much like the one holding him, all over its malformed body. Its head was a large, flat shape, which two appendages on either side of its mouth, similar to the mandibles of an Elite. The inside of its mouth was straight from a horror scene, large, misshapen teeth jutted haphazardly along what passed for its jaws.

It made a squelching sound, like meat thrown against a wall, and turned its head slightly. John followed the movement, and discovered he wasn't the only prisoner here. Descending from the roof of the chamber was another captive, wrapped up in tentacles much like himself. It was lowered down to rest beside him. As it got closer, he realized that it was an Elite, a strange looking Elite in unusual armor. Lacking the bright colors that most Elites wore, this one wore something out of a medieval story book. The armor was silver and gold, and had elaborate markings on it, the plates gliding over on another, giving it a smooth look.

The Elite was struggling against its bonds, mandibles flexing in frustration. It grunted and tugged its arms, and John was worried it might upset the creature that caught them. So he spoke up, in favor of not being eaten by this thing.

"Relax, I'd rather not piss this thing off" He said to the Elite as calmly as possible. He certainly didn't feel calm, but years of mental training had allowed him to suppress his own thoughts and feelings during a time like this, giving him an air of bravado, and keeping his head cool.

The Elite turned to him sharply. It seemed it hadn't noticed him there next to it. Its eyes narrowed, and he got the sense that it didn't like him much. He continued to give off his calm demeanor, hoping that the Elite would pick up on it.

Apparently, it did anything but. "Demon" it growled, not attempting to get closer to him, so that it could attack him. John didn't think that was a smart move, and was soon proven correct when their captor growled, and pulls them closer.

It brought John right up to its mouth, he imagined he could feel its breath passing right through his armor. He got the sense it was examining him, probing for weak spots. John suppressed a shudder.

"This one is machine and nerve, and has its mind concluded" it said, wrapping a tentacle tip around his visor. John felt it probing around his helmet, looking for a way inside. He had never been gladder for his armor then right now. He also got the impression that this thing was not just intelligent, but smart. He tried to push that detail to the back of his mind, as it lowered him and raised the Elite to its face. John felt somewhat sorry for it, having no helmet to guard from its breath, and he imagined, its stench.

"This one is but flesh and faith, and is the more deluded" It said, rhyming. Whether on purpose or not, John couldn't say. The Elite grunted, still fighting its bonds. Unlike Johns plan, which was to remain quiet until he thought of a way out, this guy seemed to figure if he was annoying enough, it would simply let him go.

"Kill me or release me parasite! But do not waste my time with talk" It yelled, staring the deadly creature in what passed for its eyes. It seemed to bristle, almost as if it had been insulted by the Elites words. It growled again, rising them both towards its mouth.

"There is much talk, and I have listened. Through rock and metal and time!" It said loudly to both, shaking them slightly. "Now I shall talk, and you shall-"

The creature was interrupted when a large explosion, what looked like a giant missile, impacted it right in its face. It roared, thrashing around, and for a moment john feared it was going to drop them. But it kept its grip, bringing them both closer to it. He was turned around, and his heart dropped when he saw who has fired then shot.

"You, won't be doing anything. Now let them go!" Samus Aran shouted, standing in front of the entry way he had come through. She stood there, arm cannon raised, and waited for the things response. Before it could say anything, the Elite spoke up.

"Samus? What are you doing here, flee now" It shouted, a tone in its voice John had never heard before in an Elite. Panic.

She shook her head, taking several steps forward. "I can't do that Arbiter, not until both you and John are out of that things grasp" she said, her voice sounding strong. But John also picked up on something else, fear. She was scared to be here. He wondered what she had gone through to follow him down here, and suddenly had a new appreciation for the strange woman.

"My prisoners they may be…but you are the one that interests me" It said, tentacles rising all around her.

Samus exploded into action. She ducked and dodged, narrowly escaping every time. She fired several more of those huge missiles, as well as her usual array of beam weapons. She froze, melted and shocked tentacle after tentacle, many being severed or destroyed. The creature roared, its assault never ending. She was good, but couldn't dodge them all. Time and time again she was thrown, slammed, or crushed by an unseen attacker, but time and time again she got back up, resuming her attacks.

John was awe struck. He remembered the fight he had with her, but this was on another level. She was surviving attacks that nobody, not even he should be able too. She was like a tank, dishing out as much damage as she was receiving.

'Her suit must be incredibly powerful…' he thought to himself. But he knew that she couldn't keep this up.

He could see her slowing down. Every time she was knocked down, she got up slightly slower every time. Her shots became less accurate, the creatures attacks never ceasing, never tiring. It wrapped two tentacles around her arms, and flung her into a wall, hard. She fell down in a heap, making a loud thud as she hit the ground. Again, she started to get up. But this time, she only got half way, before another tentacle swiped her, sending her skidding along the ground. She came to a stop some feet away, and again tried to get up. She got to one knee, wobbled, and fell back down. John's heart sank, she was beat.

The creature made a noise, something akin to a cats purr, only twisted and deformed. Is slowly wrapped four of its tendrils, one around each of her limbs, and pulled her up to join the other captives. John saw that her helmet had come off during her battle, he looked back and saw it laying there on the ground, green visor dimmed. He looked at Samus, and sighed to himself. She was unconscious, her head hung limply, golden hair draped over her shoulders. She had received a gash on her forehead, which now bled, blood trickling down her cheek. Her pale skin seemed even whiter, a stark contrast to the bright orange metal encasing her.

The Arbiter growled. "How dare you attack the Devine" he threatened the monster, resuming his struggles.

"This one is not what you think, deluded one…" The monster replied, a fifth tentacle slowly heading for her unprotected head.

Now John also struggled, not wanting to watch what came next. He had gradually come to the conclusion that this thing was a flood of some kind, and he had seen what the flood did to people. He fought against his bonds, unable to pull his eyes away from the tendril as it made its way towards her unprotected skin.

It brushed against her hair, slowly tilting her chin up. It seemed to be enjoying this. It ran its tendril along her gash, causing her to wince. Both John and the Arbiter watched, both horrified and curious as to what would happen next.

It touched her neck, almost lovingly. Then it struck, smaller tendrils digging into her flesh. Samus's eyes shot open and she screamed. She screamed bloody murder, and started tugging on her bonds, to no avail.

Suddenly, it recoiled, and pulled away, as if it had been hurt. It made a wet hissing noise, and John got the impression that if it could, it would be glaring.

"You have the block" It stated, poetic form all but gone.

Samus looked up at it, glaring herself. "Damn right, you will never have me" she shouted, almost like a challenge.

The thing bristled, but then seemed to calm itself. It lowered her to hang with the others, in between both John and the Arbiter. She didn't look at either of them, she seemed like she was concentrating on her breathing. John thought he would chance a question.

"The block?" He asked her, leaving the question in the air. He was very curious about what could prevent flood infection.

She didn't look at him, or reply, for several moments. When she did look up at him, her eyes were dulled, tired.

"It's a gift from the Chozo, an ancient alien race. A gift they all died for…" She muttered, not elaborating any further.

The Arbiter remained silent, watching her cautiously. John wanted to press the subject, but Cortana informed him not too, and he soon realized she was right. Samus had been putting on a brave face, and he wasn't sure how much more she could handle. He decided to drop it, and returned his gaze to the huge flood, which had been listening patiently.

"I still have use for you, human" It stated, stating it as if this was the plan all along. "As I was saying, you all shall listen to what I have to say"

The thing leaned back, and brought two large tentacles in front of them. John thought that it was going to attack, but he soon learnt that was far from the truth. On each tentacle, or rather imbedded in it, were two objects, or people, depending on how you looked at it. The one on their left had a small silver ball shaped object, with a large red eye. The eye lit up, coming to life.

"Greetings, I am 2401 Penitent Tangent! I am the monitor of installation 05" It said cheerfully. The group turned their attention to the other figure, and wished they hadn't.

It was deformed, and parts of it had sunk into the tentacle, their flesh fusing together. But other parts were still recognizable. It wore a regal looking robe, and had a huge hole out of the back of its head, where an arm cannon had blasted into it. It wore a grumpy expression, mostly trained on Samus. It was the prophet of Regret.

"And I am the prophet of Regret, counselor of the most high…hierarch of the Covenant" he groaned, glaring at Samus but looking like he was having trouble focusing.

The Arbiter looked between the two, confusion written on his face, but he remained silent. 2401 on the other hand, looked at both her and John and made a noise akin to a squeal of joy.

"Reclaimers? Here? At last! We have much to do, this facility must be activated if we are to control this outbreak!" it chirped at them both, before turning to the prophet, who had made a noise of protest.

"Stay where you are! Nothing can be done until my sermon is complete!" he said, almost pleadingly.

The monitor floated over to him, and started informing him of the rings capabilities, information that went over John's head. He chanced a glance at his fellow captors. Samus was listening to 2401, her eyes widening slightly. Seems even she didn't know just how powerful Halo had been. He turn his gaze to the Arbiter, who still had confusion on his face. He looked back and forth between the two, unsure whose side he should be taking.

Regret moved closer to him. "Of all the objects our 'lords' left behind…" He said, throwing Samus a look as he said 'lords', "there are none more worthless then these oracles. They know nothing of the great journey!"

The monitor bristled, floating right up to regrets face. "And you know nothing about containment! You have shown complete disregard for even the most basic of protocols."

Both were pulled away from the group, and the monster came back. It looked at them all, before continuing its speech.

"This one containment…" It growled, showing distaste for the word. "And this one's great journey are the same…"

It pulled both tentacles down, regret screaming as he vanished into the dark below. The thing moved closer to the Arbiter, who recoiled but couldn't go anywhere.

"Your prophets have promised you freedom from a doomed existence, but you will find no salvation on this ring…" it informed him. But he wasn't listening, and still fought against its hold.

It continued. "Those who built this place knew what they wrought. Do not mistake their intent, or all will perish, as they did before…." At these words, the Arbiter simmered down, probably absorbing what he had heard. John chose this moment to speak up, and try to hammer that fact home.

"This thing is right, halo is a weapon. Your prophets are making a big mistake." The Arbiter growled, and leaned as close as he could.

"Your ignorance already destroyed one of the sacred rings demon, it shall not harm another" he leered, resuming his struggle. John was about to argue, when Samus spoke up for the first time in a while.

"No…there're right Arbiter. Halo is not your salvation" she said softly, gazing at him sadly.

The arbiter stopped struggling, and stared at her, his eyes widened ever so slightly. He looked like he wanted to speak, but couldn't. Their captor interrupted, continuing his speech.

"If you will not hear the truth, then I will show it to you…there is still time to stop the key from turning, but first it must be found."

It moved John away from the other two, moving him closer. "You will search one likely spot…"

It then moved the other two to the other side. "And you both will search another."

It looked up towards the ceiling, as if gazing through the metal and stone.

"Fate had us meet as foes, but this ring will make us brothers…"

John then watched it fling both Samus and the Arbiter away from it. Just as it was letting go, both were enveloped in a golden light, and vanished. Before he could react, it flung him too, and everything faded to white.

When he came to, he found himself in front of a grunt, holding a needler at his direction. He also saw he was in a room full of brutes, who all stood around…the other prophets! He turned to the grunt, trying to seem as scary as possible.

"Boo" he whispered. The grunt screamed and ran away, throwing its weapon high in the air. John stood up and caught it, aiming it right at the prophets. The brutes roared and stood in front of their leaders.

One of them snarled. "Kill the Demon!" It shouted, before pushing a button. Both prophets disappeared into the floor, and the Brutes slowly advanced on him. He frowned, but inside he felt relieved, finally able to control what was happening to him.

"You ready John?" Cortana asked him, her first words since the flood encounter.

"Always" He muttered, and rushed forward.

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><p>Samus landed on her feet, quickly checking her surroundings. She, and the Arbiter, had arrived atop a cliff face, gazing out at a huge Forerunner structure in the distance. She turned to the Arbiter, who nodded at her.<p>

'At least he doesn't seem sore' she thought to herself. She re-activated her helmet, and readied her weapon. She nodded back, watching him take the lead. She took one last look at the vista, and followed him onward.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey all! This chapter will mostly be a bit of a filler, seeing as this story started half way through Halo 2, it would be just about over if I didn't add some minor stuff. **

**Also, I wanted to discuss the point of this stories, and stories to come. The goal here, for me at least, is too add Samus Aran to the Halo timeline. I will be doing a story for Halo 3 and 4 (Guardians as well when it actually comes out). I've had the idea for ages now, and im only just starting to put it down on paper.**

**Ok, seriousness over. Leave a comment to tell me what you think, both good and bad. And read on!**

**I dont own Halo or Metroid.**

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><p>Chapter Seven<p>

Samus kept her eyes open, observing her surroundings. The Arbiter and she had been walking along the cliff face for a while now, and both had decided that taking a quick breather would be in their best interest. She hadn't realized just how tired she had been, taking no rest in over 24 hours. She had deactivated her armor, letting the cool breeze wash over her. It seemed to soothe her, and she felt calm for the first time in awhile now.

The Arbiter was a little bit away from her, looking over his weapons. He seemed distant, and wouldn't look at her, even when speaking. Samus sensed something brewing up within him, and decided now would be the best time to find out just what it was.

"You're quiet" she mused out loud, not wanting to say too much. She didn't know what was eating at him, and didn't want to make him mad.

He sighed, and stood up. He walked towards the edge of the cliff, gazing out at the vista, including the huge Forerunner building in the near distance.

"You're Human…" he said quietly, no anger in his voice. He turned to her, his expression unreadable.

She sighed. "Yes, yes I am…"

He didn't respond right away, continuing to stare at her. He put away his weapons, something that she felt relief for. He sighed, gazing back out.

"Does that mean my gods aren't real?" He said quietly. She got the sense he wasn't asking her directly.

"No they were real. But they certainly weren't gods" She told him, getting up and slowly making her way over to him.

She stood beside him, also looking out into the distance. She wasn't expecting what came next.

"Tell me about them, the Forerunners" he asked her, turning to her. She looked at him, a little shocked.

"I don't know what to tell you. They were as advanced as we were. The story goes that they used to keep their distance from each other, but that all changed when the Flood attacked. Humans took it upon themselves to find a way to eradicate the parasite." She started, the Arbiter listening intently.

"This included destroying worlds that the flood had infected, including Forerunner worlds. They took this as an act of war." She sighed, not liking the next part of the tale. The Arbiter nodded for her to continue, seemingly fascinated.

"Their war with us lasted for a millennium, by which point both sides had lost much. I was born towards the final few years of it. It was not pretty…" she said quietly.

The Arbiter, placed a hand on her shoulder, a gesture she wasn't expecting. He looked at her, his expression still unreadable. She had a hard time figuring out what he was thinking.

"So they won" He said softly. She couldn't tell if he was happy or sad about that fact.

She nodded. "They did. They destroyed any and all of humanity's technology, their cities and worlds. They captured most of us. Their punishment, was to devolve us back to a primitive state…well, besides myself"

He looked away. "And then the Flood walked in…"

"Yes. Weakened by our war, they were no match for the real enemy" she said, moving away to sit on a nearby rock. The Arbiter joined her, moving to sit on another rock opposite her. They remained silent for a moment, Samus remembering, and Arbiter dwelling on what he had learnt.

"So how are you here? What happened to prevent yourself from being 'devolved'"? He asked her slowly.

She looked at her, frowning. "Much like everything else, it's not a nice story." She told him, taking a breath before starting.

"I was born on a small colony world, and was only young when the Forerunners came. We didn't have a strong military presence at the time, so the Forerunners just came in and started killing…" she paused, trying to keep her emotions out of the story. The Arbiter remained silent.

"I don't remember it all, but eventually I was the only one left. I guess they didn't find me. I remember walking out, and there were no people, just ashes everywhere…" she took another breath before continuing.

"I remember in my young mind, thinking how alone I was. I didn't think about starving or not being able to survive alone. Just how alone I was." She frowned at the thought, looking away.

"That was when the ship came. I thought it was them again, coming to get me. I stood there, the dumb child I was. When the ship landed, it wasn't a Forerunner that came out, but something else. I had never seen one before. He was tall and thin. I remember all his feathers" She chuckled, the memory a fond one finally.

The Arbiter tilted his head, not sure what to make of the description, but didn't question. She continued.

"He was a part of an ancient race called the Chozo. They had remained hidden for the most part, not wanting to side with either Humans or Forerunners. He came to me, and told me that I didn't have to be alone anymore. Seeing that I didn't have any other options, I went with him. His name was Old Bird, or at least that's what I called him." She said, smiling at the memory.

"He took me back to his world, Zebes, where he raised me. They trained me, taught me how to fight and how to use this suit" she said, "You know…when I try to picture my parents, all I can see is him, Old Bird."

The Arbiter nodded. "So they raised you up to be a warrior. What next?"

"After they raised me, I re-joined the fight against the Forerunners, but this was during the closing years of the war, and we had all but lost. There were a few pockets of us left, the rest of us dropped back on our home world."

"Were you a soldier?" The Arbiter asked, seemingly curious.

She shook her head. "No, I started out as a bounty hunter, but all needed to fight by the end."

He nodded slowly. "A hunter…"

She shrugged. "Anyway, this continued for years until Old Bird contacted me, telling me what the Forerunners had planned to destroy the flood. I raced to where he said he was, and found he was with a Forerunner known as the Librarian, who apparently was not on the bandwagon when it came to Humans. They…told me that soon no life would remain, that the Flood couldn't be stopped. The Librarian told me of Halo, and what it would do. They then told me that they wanted me to survive, and…the rest is history" She finished, looking at the Arbiter casually.

He didn't answer right away. "That is quite some tale…and the sacred rings?"

Samus was about to reply when they both heard savage roars coming from ahead of their path. She reactivated her armor in a flash, readying her weapon. The arbiter drew his sword, the blade coming to life with a crack. They both looked at each other, and made their way forward.

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><p>John grunted as the Brute shoved him away, the force of the wall knocking the wind out of him. His adversary roared and charged, something he was seeing all too much recently. He waited and dodged at the last moment, the Brute slamming into the wall head first. Dazed, it searched for its prey, only to meet the end of an energy sword. It let out a gargle, then died. John deactivated the weapon, letting the hairy thing fall on itself. He gave a quick look around the room he was in, no more hostiles in sight.<p>

"Cortana, any new information?" he asked, taking this time to both catch his breath, and ready his weapons.

"Yes, I've been listening in on the Covenant b-net. The Prophets aren't too far ahead. I've also been talking to Adam. We've been sharing information." She replied, her voice hinting she was enjoying talking to the other A.I.

He nodded, reloading a Carbine he had snatched from a fallen Elite. "What kind of information have you been sharing?"

"Only basic stuff, I'm not about to betray the UNSC John" She laughed.

He didn't reply, looking back down the path they had taken, alien bodies scattered everywhere. Since appearing here at the hands of what he now knew to be the 'Gravemind', he had given chase to the two Prophets he had seen at the beginning. His chase had led him through much of the huge space station, High Charity. He had neutralized any who had stood in his way, but occasionally he didn't have too.

John had been surprised when he first saw groups of Elites fighting the rest of the Covenant. He didn't understand what was happening here, not fully. But he wasn't above letting them fight it out, and picking off the stragglers. It had certainly made things easier for him, the now dead Brute testament to that statement.

He returned to the present, making his way towards the next room. All the architecture of the station was a variety of dark blues and purples, and had a layout that confused him. He was sure that without the aid of Cortana, he would have no clue where he was going. She was in the stations systems now, using the wealth of information to aid him and keep an eye on their quarry.

"Adam's pouting, apparently Samus hasn't been paying much attention to him" she laughs. John grunts, heading into the next room.

"Stay focused on the objective Cortana" He told her.

She grumbled. "Alright mister bossy…"

He walked a little while more in silence, keeping an eye out for trouble. When none presented itself, he chanced a question.

"How are they doing? Samus and the Arbiter?" He asked as casually as he could. Apparently Cortana saw right through him, and chuckled.

"There're fine, they have just met their first few groups of Brutes. Happy to tell you that the apes stood no chance." She paused a second, then added "That Samus is really something huh? She sure beat you earlier." John kept his cool, not giving any indicators that fact bothered him, almost.

"She had the element of surprise, and her weapons were an unknown. I'm sure if we fought again, I would win" He said knowingly, as if it was already fact.

She laughed, but didn't comment. John made his way through the station, meeting very little resistance. Those that were around, were too busy fighting each other to notice one lone Spartan. Cortana informed him that Samus and the Arbiter had grouped up with a squad of Elites, and were making their way towards a large Forerunner structure. Cortana had also informed Adam that that building was probably the control room for Halo, and that heading there was a smart idea.

John took all of this in subconsciously, as he made his way through room after room. As he had just cleared the latest room, two hunters now dead at his feet, Cortana spoke up again, more urgent this time.

"Chief, the Prophets are getting ready to leave, you need to hurry!" She said, her voice indicating she should hurry.

John did just that, charging forward as fast as he could. He ran straight past enemies, faster than any of them. He cleared his mind, rushing as fast as he could. Nothing was going to stop him from reaching the Prophets, nothing.


	8. Chapter 8

**Woo! Number 8! Alright, this story is obviously coming to a close soon, but I will be staring the next one right away, so I wont be leaving any of you hanging too long. As usual, leave a comment to let me know your thoughts, and enjoy!**

**I do not own Halo or Metroid.**

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><p>Chapter 8<p>

"Why can't this thing go any faster?" John thought to himself, as he descended down the gravity lift.

He had kept true to his word, rushing through High Charity as fast as he could. He had reached a large gravity lift, which Cortana had informed him would head straight for the location of the Prophets. But the lift really was large, larger then he thought. It was taking a while to reach the bottom. He tensed, making sure his Carbine was ready. The Prophets were sure to have company.

He finally made it down, and started to make his way forward, but stopped in his tracks, his heart sinking. Three dropships, Phantoms, were just leaving the platform he had arrived on, making their way towards a giant silver object in the center of the space station. He was unsure what to do next, when he also noticed the things on the ground nearby.

Flood infection spores were everywhere, many crushed. It seemed his targets had been attacked before they could make their escape. However, it was clear one didn't escape. A Prophet, Mercy, was on the ground, struggling weakly against a spore, which was ripping into the flesh of his chest and neck, trying with all its might to climb inside. Mercy was managing to hold it off, but it was clear he wouldn't be able to for much longer.

John walked up to him slowly, keeping his weapon at the ready. He leaned down closer to the Prophet, observing the situation with slight disgust.

"Your pal, where's he going?" He asked, not even sure he would get a reply. Mercy took a shallow breath, getting some air to speak.

"Earth, to finish what we started. And this time, none of you will be left behind…" He spat, growing weaker and weaker by the second.

John remained calm, not letting the threat get to him. He leaned down and grabbed the spore, crushing it and pulling it out of Mercy's chest. The Prophet let out one last gasp, then moved no more. Satisfied, John stood back up. He turned to look at the fleeing ships, Cortana appearing beside him on a pedestal.

"That structure in the center of the city, it's a Forerunner ship!" She exclaimed, "And Truth is heading straight for it!" She turned to him, eyes wide, and worry written on her face.

"If he leads the Covenant fleet to Earth…they won't stand a chance" she told him quietly.

But John had other plans. He had spotted a group of Brutes earlier with Human prisoners, among them his friend Johnson and his commander Miranda. He wasn't about to let them be taken that easy.

"That Brute had the index, and Miranda and Johnson. He can activate the ring" He reminded her.

She shook her head. "If he does, I'll detonate In Amber Clads reactors just like I did the Autumns, the blast will destroy this city and the ring."

John turned to look at the ship he had arrived at Halo in. It had flown in as he was running through the station, but he hadn't paid it much mind, focused on chasing his targets. He tried to think why is was here, or who had flown it in, but Cortana interrupted him further.

"And I'm sorry about Miranda and Johnson. They will have to fend for themselves…" she told him sadly.

He knew she was right, but he wasn't happy about it. He grumpily reached to retrieve her from the pedestal she was on, but she held up a hand, indicating for him to stop.

"No, I don't want to chance a remote detonation…I need to stay here." She said slowly.

John blinked. He could hardly believe she had said that. They hadn't been apart since they had first been put together. He really didn't want to leave her here alone. More importantly, he didn't want to leave alone. He was about to argue, when the sound of a ship engine coming closer caught his attention.

He looked up to see a Pelican dropship coming in fast, too fast. It crashed into a wall nearby, remaining still. John felt a feeling of dread, suspecting what might come out of that ship. As if on cue, the back hatch burst open, and Flood came pouring out, their wails and screeches echoing through the cavernous station. They leaped unto nearby Covenant, tearing into flesh and rending metal. John whirled back to Cortana, whose face was in a panic.

"John, go. Now!" She shouted, pointing towards a door. John did just that, not only running to catch up to the last Prophet, but now he also ran for his life.

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><p>Samus Aran was not having the best day. She had woken out in the future, to find that Humanity was at war with another group of aliens. They were trying to activate Halo, not knowing its true purpose. She watched the Phantom land near the big building, which was much closer now than when the Arbiter and she had started. Brutes piled out, among them their human captive, a woman she know knew to be Miranda Keyes. She turned to the Arbiter, frown on her face.<p>

"We need to get inside there." She told him, as if it wasn't obvious enough. The Arbiter nodded, heading for a big, strange-looking vehicle. It was an odd shade of red, and had an ugly-looking turret on top. He hopped inside, bringing the ghastly thing to life. He turned to her, pointing up at the turret.

"Climb inside, we will find a way inside." He said, turning back to the dashboard. Samus looked back up at the turret, sighing and climbing up. After sitting there for about five seconds, she came to the conclusion that she was not going to be firing this thing, ever. She switched to her plasma beam, refining it until it was thin, focused. She then cut off the hideous weapon, using her arm cannon like a laser cutter.

It fell to the ground with a thud, causing the Arbiter to jump. He looked at her for a moment, before shrugging and turning back to the wheel. He began driving, heading towards a narrow canyon.

"Keep an eye out for our enemies" He shouted to her. She didn't reply, already watching the ground and skies for just that.

It was then of course, that the enemy decided to attack. Two Wraith tanks hovered around the corner, while a group of Banshee attack craft came flying down, their distinct scream growing louder and louder.

Samus opened fire, taking out the aircraft first. She fired several missiles, all of them finding their mark. The Banshees came soaring out of the sky, crashing into each other on the way down. She turned her attention to the Wraiths, who had opened fire, their huge blue plasma mortars raining down on them. She charged up her power beam, then fired missiles, sending several super missiles right into the front of one. When the smoke cleared, it didn't have a front, looking like the front half had combusted.

Satisfied, she turned to the other Wraith, which was still firing away. She changed to her ice beam, charging up and firing an ice spreader. The icy missile flew right into the firing mechanism of the mortar, causing the whole thing to be covered in a thick, icy coating. When the mortar tried to fire, it melted most of the ice, but it didn't come out of the weapon. Because of this, the weapon essentially destroyed itself, melting and warping out of shape.

There was a pause, then the driver, a Brute, opened the hatch and started climbing out. As they drove past it, she fired a charged shot at its head. The Brute turned, its whole head frozen solid. It stumbled around, before falling over, unable to get up.

She chuckled, finding the whole thing amusing, and turned her attention forward, more of the enemy's vehicles closing in. This continued for some time, with Samus raining fire upon the helpless Covenant in a variety of ways. The Arbiter just kept driving, content with letting her do all the killing. They eventually reached the base of another building, which just happened to have a Scarab parked outside of it.

"Do you think they would mind if we borrowed that thing?" She asked casually, running an appraising eye over the large vehicle. The Arbiter let out a small laugh, nodding.

"No, I don't think they would." He said, before tilting his head up, looking at a platform above them. Samus looked up too. She could hear noises, the distinct whine of plasma fire, and something else. Much sharper sounding, like a loud crack. She felt like she had heard it before. It took her a moment to realize she had, it was a similar noise to the primitive rifle John had used against her. Her eye's widened.

"We need to get up there" She declared, eyeing the edge of the platform, she walked around it slowly, as if looking for an exact spot.

The Arbiter remained still, not sure what she was doing. She turned to him, waving him over. He walked over, waiting to see if she would share her unknown plan.

"Ok, grab my waist." She instructed, waiting expectantly.

"What?" He said, slightly shocked. He tilted his head, looking at her like she was nuts. "Isn't that a bit forward? Not to mention this is not a good time. Also, you're a Human." He started saying, dribbling on.

"What? No, just grab my waist dammit." She said, rolling her eyes at his words. He did, after a moment of hesitation. He wrapped both his arms around her, holding on tight. He blinked, waiting for her next instructions.

"Right, hold on." She said, grinning. She pointed her hand towards the edge of the platform. A stream of energy flew out of her hand, making a beeline for the platform's edge. It impacted, seeming to stick. She gave it a tug, making sure it was stuck.

"Oh grapple beam, how I love thee…" She said quietly, before both of them were pulled up. The Arbiter tightened his grip, not wanting to fall back down. They arrived at the top within moments, both pulling themselves up. Samus stood and turned her gaze towards where the fighting was coming from. What she saw made her both happy and slightly scared.

A small group of Humans were hiding behind crates, trying to hold a larger group of Brutes off. They wore primitive armor, drably colored. They wouldn't last too much longer. Not waiting for the Arbiter, she charged forward.

She ran right past the Humans, heading straight for the Brutes. She heard gasps and wows, she even though she heard a small scream from one of them. She smiled as she met the Brutes head on, liking how impressive she must have looked. She switched to her plasma beam, making short work of the aliens. As the last one fell, its cries muffled by a melted throat, she turned back to the group of soldiers, still hiding.

"It's alright, you can come out now" She shouted, looking down at her handy work.

They came out from cover, looking at the devastation in awe. They then looked at her, expressions turning from awe to weary. They didn't know if she was a friend or a foe. The Arbiter appeared beside her, having been invisible the whole time. They jumped, raising their weapons and preparing to fire. Samus stood in between them, raising a hand.

"Whoa now, we are friendly, look, see?" She said, de-activating her helmet. She waved her hair from side to side, simply to make it more comfortable. To the soldiers however, she appeared as something else.

"Holy hell, you're human?" One of them yelled, walking closer. They all were a foot shorter than she was, but she was sure that without her suit on, they would be a more similar height.

"Well yeah, duh" She chuckled, trying her best not to freak them out. She knew that she would be telling her story multiple times once she met with the Human leadership, but for these grunts, she would appear as normal as she could.

"Must be a new Spartan model maybe?" Another considered, all of them coming to take a closer look. They didn't pay much attention to the Arbiter, but then they weren't shooting him either.

"Yeah, sure. That's what I am" She chuckled, letting them gaze at her in awe. One got a bit bolder.

"In all of my time in the Navy, I have never seen a woman as pretty as you" he commented, winking suggestively. She laughed, enjoying the conversation. Besides aliens, John the mute, and her oddly quiet friend Adam, she didn't have many to talk to. It was nice to chat with what she considered 'regular' humans.

"Well thanks, but save the flattery for later. Tell me, where is your commanding officer?" She asked them all, turning back to business. One of them pointed at the Scarab.

"Sargent Johnson went inside just a few minutes ago" He reported, all of them looking at the big mechanical monster, then back to Samus.

Samus and the Arbiter exchanged looks, and before anyone could say or do anything, the Scarab came to life. Its giant eye lit up, and it took several steps towards the platform, seeming to be looking right at the Arbiter. He took a step back, but didn't flee. A voice echoed out of the Scarab, loud and clear.

"Alright, listen up. You don't like me split jaw, and I sure as hell don't like you. Your lady friend I don't mind." The voice, Sargent Johnson, boomed loudly, the last part sounding like he didn't mind her at all.

"But if we don't do something, mister Mohawks going to activate this ring. And were all going to die." He said, a lot less aggressively. The Arbiter nodded, taking a step forward. Samus remained where she was.

"Tartarus has locked himself inside the control room" He informed Johnson. She heard a chuckle from inside the Scarab, which then back off.

"Well, I just happen to have a key. Come on, find a useable Banshee and give me some cover" He instructed, the Scarab slowly making its way back the way they had come, towards the control room.

Samus looked at the Banshee's on offer, and sighed. Most were completely destroyed, her handiwork, and those that weren't were a couple of shots away from being so. She raked her brain as the Arbiter looked around, trying to think of a solution.

Then, it suddenly hit her. She had something that would be very useful in this situation. She also thought annoyingly, that it would have been useful from the start of her adventure, but she didn't dwell on it too much.

"Adam, you there?" She asked him, not sure if she should be expecting an answer.

"Oh, you remember me do you?" He replied sarcastically. Clearly he was annoyed at not being talked to for some time.

"Look, sorry, but I have been a bit busy. Grow up" She told him. He made a noise and remained silent. She winced, realizing that she probably didn't say the best thing.

"Adam…I'm sorry. I'm stressed out, and I shouldn't have forgotten about you." She said, sincere. He perked back up.

"It's alright, what did you want to ask?" He asked her, back to his usual self.

"I…have a ship, don't I?" She asked, unable to keep a smile off her lips. Adam didn't answer right away. Samus thought he must have been thinking he was as stupid as she was, for forgetting that little fact.

"Yes you do, in fact it's nearby. Do you want me to call it over?" he asked, excitement in his voice.

She nodded, giving him something to do. She walked over to the Arbiter and told him about her ship. He nodded and ceased his search.

"Are you two coming or what?" Johnson shouted, the Scarab turning back around.

"Yes, our ride should be here any…" She started saying, before her ship came flying in, stopping just above the platform. Larger than either a Phantom or Pelican, it was an odd-looking ship by both Human and Covenant standards. It was Orange like her armor, with a large green windshield similar to her own visor. It had four multi directional thrusters on the bottom, allowing it to hover and move around. A platform lowered from its underside, which Samus made her way too. As she reached the ramp, she turned and beckoned the Arbiter over, who nodded and slowly followed her.

"You have a thing for Orange." He pointed out. Samus rolled her eyes, the platform rising back up, bringing them both up. She smiled as they ascended. As they both disappeared into the ship, she chuckled.

"This is going to be fun."


	9. PSA 1

**PSA 1**

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><p><strong>Hey all!<strong>

**Just updating you guys on how things are. I have the story all laid out in my head, and the next chapter will be here very soon. **

**I've been having some personal issues that have prevented me from writing much, so I've been adding more to the next chapter little by little. These issues are not permanent, and I will be back to writing fully shortly. **

**Keep up the comments and support!**

**Shady.**

**P.S: I am aware that my grammar and spelling can occasionally suck, but I am getting better with every mistake pointed out. So please keep pointing them out, and hopefully I can become a writing master.**

**P.P.S: That said, it would be nice to hear about the things you like about it as well. Not complaining, just...*coughs***


	10. Chapter 9

**Hey all! Sorry that took awhile, a mix of life issues and writers block, but im now back on track! (hopefully). We are approaching the end of this story, but thankfully I will be starting the next one straight after, so huzza! Their should only be one or two more chapters to this one, but the next few stories should be much more lengthy. Now, question time!**

** Guest: Samus is human, from the time when humans had a galactic empire that rivalled the forerunners. Its all explained really well in the Forerunner saga of books, by Greg Bear, its a very good read!**

** Leonard Church814: I actually had an idea like that when I began thinking of this story! But, my balloon quickly burst when I realised that the moment Samus saw a regular human, which she was bound to do so, she would realise what the Covenant were up too. So I scrapped that idea. If anyone managed to make a story with that kind of plot believable, I would read it happily!**

**Alright, disclaimer time.**

**I do not own Halo or Metroid, sadly enough. If I did, something along the lines of this story would have been made into a game ages ago!**

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><p>Chapter 9<p>

"Hey Arbiter, are you alright?" Samus asked, not looking up from her windscreen.

"Yes I am fine. Your ship is just…strange." He replied slowly. Samus turned to look at him, and just managed to hold back a smile. He was standing in the middle of the ship awkwardly, looking around at this and that like a curious child.

The ship was larger on the inside then it looked. Most of the space was her command room, where she flew the ship and set up details for missions. But towards the back, were several smaller rooms, including a bathroom and small bedroom. It really was her home away from home.

"Why don't you take a seat? I'm sure things are about to get bumpy." She chuckles, gesturing to a seat next to her. He nods and sits, not looking very comfortable. His odd body shape wasn't meant to sit in human chairs very well. She gave him an apologetic look, before a voice on the radio interrupts.

"You ready up there, pretty lady?" Johnson's voice crackled over the radio. She pushed a button on her dashboard, allowing her to reply.

"Sure am Sargent, we're ready when you are." She said clearly. She heard the man's voice chuckle on the other end.

"Sure hope so woman, because those alien bastards will be coming in hot. As long as you keep me safe, I don't care who you are." He said seriously, followed by the noises of machines powering up as the Scarab came to life. It started slowly making its way through the canyon she had come through earlier, its main weapon lit up, ready to fire.

Samus followed slightly behind, up above. She kept her eyes peeled on both her windshield and the radar on her dashboard, making sure nothing snuck up on them.

"Adam, how we looking?" She asked him. The A.I was at home in the ship, and he replied with a calm yet positive voice, despite the situation.

"Fine for now Samus, but I'm sure they're lying in wait. I'll keep watching." He responded. He seemed happy that she was talking to him again, but for the most part remained professional. She simply nodded in response, keeping her eyes on the ground too, in case they tried to sneak onto the Scarab. She didn't want her new Human buddy to die.

The Arbiter was also watching for enemies. He turned to Samus, appearing like he wanted to ask something.

"Do you think the Sargent can open the door to the control room?" He asked, some doubt present. Samus nodded, keeping her eyes straight.

"If he can't, I can." She responded. She had checked the weapons systems as she was powering up, and was pleased to find all of them remained functional. She had her main gun, which acted a lot like her power beam, as well as an array of missiles and bombs at her disposal. She turned to look at the Arbiter briefly, a frown on her face.

"Hey, are you alright with what's going on Arbiter?" She asked him seriously. She had never been into religion, but knew what it was like to have your belief's proven false and thrown in your face. He looked at her for a long time, silent. She had turned back to the windshield when he finally answered.

"All my life I had wanted to serve. I had wanted to make my clan proud, and after years of serving I had. But now I see, that it was all for nothing. The Prophets were liars, and the Covenant nothing but their bid for more power. I have never felt so foolish…" He muttered, head hung low. She sighed, the general feeling in the ship turned sour.

"I am sorry Arbiter, I know what it feels like to have your life's work thrown in your face…" She said quietly, adjusting controls on the dashboard. The Arbiter muttered a word she had never heard before. She turned to him, confused.

"What did you say?" She asked slowly. He looked up at her, eyes unreadable. She always had trouble reading his expressions, and now was no different.

"I said my name is Thel." He said quietly, looking back down. She blinked, unsure how to respond. She got the sense this was a big deal to him. She was about to reply when of course, the enemy struck.

A squadron of Banshees rushed them from above, pelting the ships shields with fuel rod fire. At the same time, a large number of Wraith tanks appeared from all directions, firing their mortar shots at the Scarab, which had come to a halt.

"Ah dammit, get them off me!" Johnson shouted over the radio. Samus was too busy to reply, pushing this and that as she tried to get a clear line of sight on her aerial attackers.

The ship climbed straight up, blowing past the attackers. Once she had gotten some height over them, she then pulled her ship into a dive bomb, plummeting towards the Banshee's. Rather than fire her weapons, she chose a more primitive, but just as effective approach. Before the Banshee's had a chance to move out of the way, her ship plowed right through their formation, destroying two and damaging a third. The other's scattered, reorganizing and coming back for another attack.

Her ship whirled around, her cannons opening fire on the incoming targets. Gold plasma shots rained down upon the aircraft, their hulls melting from the extreme heat. She then finished them off with a salvo of missiles, the explosions giving her slight satisfaction.

Wasting no time, she turned her ship towards the tanks on the ground. They were still firing away at the Scarab, which had taken out a few of them itself. However, it was slow, and the Wraiths could easily out maneuver it. She brought her ship lower, and opened fire on them with plasma.

Most of the Wraiths turned to fire at her, but she easily dodged the slow moving mortar shots. She swerved left and right through the air, lazily dodging as she returned fire. Most of the tanks had taken considerable damage, though they had much thicker armor then the Banshee's did. She fired more missiles, explosions rocking the damaged Wraiths, many blowing up. The last few were crushed by the Scarab.

"Thanks sweet cheeks" Johnson's voice called out over the radio. The Scarab turned back to its original path, Samus following from the air. This continued for some time, with the occasional Covenant aircraft or ground vehicle trying to stop them. This gave time for Samus to think, and Adam to speak.

"Samus, I need to ask you something." He started slowly, sounding like he was reluctant to ask the next question. She kept her poker face on, despite the fact that she would rather not chat right now.

"Ask away." She said, pretending to be focused on flying the ship. She knew that Adam was actually flying for the most part, but it paid to look distracted.

"Well, after all this is over, and if we don't die horribly, what will we do?" He asked her, his avatar appearing on the dashboard. She sighed, looking away for a moment, before turning back to him, her face thoughtful.

"I've actually thought about this a lot the last hour. To be honest, I'm not exactly sure. Maybe we could go reconnect with humanity." She chuckled. Adam crossed his arms, looking unamused.

"I'm serious Samus. We can't just go wander the Galaxy alone, we should go back to Earth after this." He told her in that, you should listen to me, kind of way.

"Earth?" She asked, confused. Adam blinked, before chuckling.

"It's what Humans call their home world now." He explained, smirking. Not wanting to look clueless, she simply nodded. She was about to ask another question when the Arbiter interrupted.

"You will have to discuss this later, we have arrived" He said quietly, pointing out the windshield. She turned to follow his point, eyeing the building before them.

It was even larger up close, the huge monolithic building pointing up into the sky. It was made of gray metals with blue highlights, the usual coloring of Forerunner buildings. Samus looked on with a mixed feeling of awe and dread. Though the Forerunners may have once been her hated enemy, they sure knew how to build to last, not any sign of wear and tear present. She stopped the ship just above the Scarab, before getting up.

"Adam, you have control of the ship. If anything purple moves, blow it up" She ordered him, making her way toward the main hatch, Arbiter in tow. Adam didn't comment, but she felt the ship adjust itself on its own, and she knew he had heard. Johnson's voice crackled over the radio again.

"Alright, as soon as I blow open those doors, head on inside. We need to stop that ape from killing us all." He instructed, the sound of the Scarabs main gun charging up becoming ever louder. Samus checked her armor and weapons, making sure everything was working and in order. The Arbiter simply stood waiting, as still as a statue.

"You heard him right Adam, as soon as the doors open, fly us over and we will jump out." She said calmly, keeping the excitement of upcoming action out of her voice. Adam materialized on the command table in the center of the room, his face wrinkled in concern.

"Be careful, you don't know what's waiting for you in there." He muttered, eyeing her over. She simply shrugged, finished tinkering with her suit. She turned to him, and put on a smirk.

"Don't worry, I'll go fry this guy, then we can go check out Earth. Wonder what's changed." She chuckled, keeping her bravado up. She actually didn't feel as confidant as she looked, and Adam knew it. His lack of belief was written all over his face.

"Just don't mess around. Stop Halo, and come back. That's an order Lady." He remarked dryly, using his pet name for her. She scowled, but was quick to smile, genuinely this time. The name Lady annoyed her to no end, but it showed that Adam cared still, and she couldn't ignore that fact. They were interrupted by the Arbiter, once again.

"Get ready, both of you, the weapons about to fire." He said calmly, the face of serenity. Indeed he was right, for a second after saying so, a large green beam of energy flew past the windshield, and slammed into the main doors of the building, the force sending out shockwaves that rocked the ship slightly.

"Go now! I'll catch up." Johnson shouted, the sounds of him grabbing equipment and weapons present in the broadcast. Samus simply nodded at Adam, who vanished. The ship immediately made its way towards the now huge, molten hole in the face of the building. It only took a second, and soon they were hovering above the entrance.

The ships hatch opened, and both Samus and the Arbiter jumped out, both landing on their feet a few feet below. Once both made it to the ground, the ship flew back to a safer distance. Samus sent out a signal to the ship, telling Adam to hide it. She could easily call for him again if need be. She watched it move away, out of sight, then turned her attention to the matter at hand.

The entryway loomed above her and her companion, the outer edges still bright from the Scarabs beam. Both looked at each over, then made their way inside. The inside was dark, seemingly designed that way. The doorway led to a long corridor, which they walked down quickly. Samus tried to soften her footsteps, ghosting down the hallway with the Arbiter right behind her. They soon met their first obstacle, a Brute with his back turned.

Without a word, the Arbiter cloaked and made his way forward, his sword coming to life in a flash. The Brute didn't react, and didn't turn around, completely oblivious. Samus could hardly see the Arbiter right behind their enemy, his camo hiding him well. He struck suddenly and swiftly, the sword appearing as if from nowhere.

The heated plasma thrust into the enemy's back, straight through to the other side, sticking out of his chest. The Brute didn't even have time to register it was under attack, as just as quickly as he struck, the Arbiter removed the blade, letting the Brute fall in a heap.

He turned and nodded at Samus, making his way forward. She followed behind, keeping an eye on her radar and surroundings. A fierce roar startled her, and as she was grabbed from behind, she gave out a yell.

Three more Brutes had been hiding, and had all struck as one. One was fighting the Arbiter for his sword, the both of them pulling and pushing each other, and one was now running at Samus, the last one holding onto her.

She had to give the Brute credit, it was strong. She couldn't shake lose, but she didn't really need to. She quickly shifted into Morph ball, laying a nice bomb surprise at her captor's feet. The Brute didn't notice, or was too stupid to care, and was promptly blown up in a yell of surprise and pain. She shifted back to normal, and turned to face the next attacker. It Roared, and charged right into her. Both fell to the floor, the Brute trying to pummel her. She rolled away and sprung back up, raising her cannon at her foe. It snarled, and jumped up, running at her again, ignoring its weapon. She quickly backpedaled, firing her power beam rapidly. The Brute kept coming, ignoring the burns it now had. She stopped running, and instead flipped over her foe. It stopped in its tracks, jumping up to grab her. It was shocked when she grabbed it instead. Before it could shake her, she had wrapped an arm around its neck, and pointed her cannon right at its head. She had charged while flipping, and didn't need to waste any time. She fired, the charged shot flying right through the skull of her target, its body going limp instantly.

She tossed it aside, and stood up, checking herself. Besides some faint blood marks from the Brute, she was fine. She turned to see the Arbiter had also won his fight, his foe now in half on the floor, face frozen in a snarl. He nodded at her, then turned to make his way further. She followed, keeping her eyes open for any more ambushes.

They continued for some time quietly, no more Brutes present in the area. The rest were probably with their leader in the control room. Both picked up their pace, not wanting to arrive too late. They eventually came to another hallway, with a huge door at the end. Two Brutes stood guard, looking around dully, probably bored. Samus signaled for the Arbiter to hide. He cloaked, and she hid behind a wall.

"I've got these two…" She told him quietly, despite the fact they were using radio. She looked down to her cannon, narrowing her eyes. The cannon changed shape once again, this time taking on a much longer and thinner look, a deep and angry red glowing faintly from under its plating. She smirked, memories coming back about this particular beam.

The Imperialist, was a weapon she had…won, from another bounty hunter. It was a long range particle beam, which made virtually no noise. It did however, have a huge energy cost, and her suit wouldn't be able to handle too much of its continued fire. So she used it sparingly, especially when two dumb Brutes were just begging to be sniped.

She edged around the corner, making sure the two wouldn't spot her. When she was sure they couldn't see her, she took aim. She moved the cannon back and forth, judging the distance between them. When she was satisfied, she took aim again, and fired.

Two silent red lasers flew out into the distance, both burying themselves into the skulls of their targets. Both Brutes dropped without a sound, the only indicator they were dead being a small red hole on their foreheads. Samus stood and observed her handiwork, smirking to herself.

The Arbiter appeared beside her, giving a silent nod of approval before making his way to the door. She followed, looking at the new obstacle with a tilt of her head. She noticed a control panel, and made her way over to it.

"Seems we have hit a dead end…" The Arbiter muttered, placing a hand on the door, as if the action would open it. Samus shook her head, and waved him over.

"No, this control console should open it, just give me a moment." She said distantly, already scanning it. He simply nodded, taking a step back and watching the way they had come, making sure they would not be followed. She kept scanning eventually finding the command to open the door. She also found out that the room beyond was a hallway, that led to the control room. She informed the Arbiter, who flexed his mandibles, as if pondering. The door suddenly opened, and both looked into the room beyond. She turned to him, frowning.

"How did you want to proceed? Did you want to run in, guns blazing?" She asked. He shook his head, which still had that look on his face.

"No…I would like to try and talk to Tartarus." He said slowly. She was about to protest when he continued.

"He may be a Brute, but he is a believer in the Prophets lies, as I was. I wish to try and teach him the truth." He finished. Samus sighed, and looked down the corridor. She pondered his request, before finally giving in.

"Fine, but when this turns into a fight, we fight." She said, mind gearing up for the combat ahead. He nodded his thanks, then started making his way down the hallway quietly. She followed closely behind, keeping her cannon raised.

"I sure hope you know what you're doing." She told him. He sighed and looked towards the floor.

"So do I…"


	11. Chapter 10

**Hello all! Well this is it! The final chapter for Halo 2! I have already started on Halo 3, and the first chapter will be out shortly. Please feel free to comment your thoughts, and for those who have liked and followed this story, I thank you!**

**I dont own Halo or Metroid. I wish I did...Now, read on!**

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><p>Chapter 10<p>

The room was huge, and scarcely lit. The only light source coming from the center platforms, which had faint lights along their surface. Samus kept her pace slow and quiet, the Arbiter matching her speed. She quickly picked up on noises up ahead, and soon spotted their origin.

In front of a large console, were a group of Brutes, all of which had their backs turned. In the center was Tartarus, she assumed. He was a large Brute, by far the biggest. His fur was an odd white, but she didn't really care about these minor details. She was more concerned with what he held in his hands. In one was a small, glowing object, shaped like a small key.

She knew what this was, she had seen it before. An Index, used to fire Halo rings. Her heart rate picked up slightly at the sight of it, but she remained focused. The Forerunners had encoded DNA locking on almost all of their technology, and after finding out Humans had been fighting the flood before them, had included Human DNA in their registry. Now that the Forerunners were gone, only Humans could do things like activate Halo.

Which is why the person in the Brutes other hand made her feel much more dread then the index did. The woman was short, looking tiny compared to her captors. She struggled in vain to get free, causing more than a few Brutes to huff in amusement. Tartarus however, did not seem amused.

"Come on human, it is easy. Just take the icon in your hand…" He started to say softly, before the woman struggled again. He growled, slamming his fist into the control console.

"And do as you are told!"

A small beep caused them both to turn. In another Brutes grasp was a Monitor, much like the one Samus had seen in the Graveminds clutches. Its eye was blue, unlike the red from the first one. Its tone sounded worried.

"Please use caution! This Reclaimer is delicate." It said, blue eye flicking between the woman and Brute. Tartarus snarled, baring his teeth.

"One more word Oracle, and I'll rip your eye from its socket!" He growled, before turning back to the woman and leaning down.

"Which is nothing compared to what I'll do to you…"

Samus turned to the Arbiter and nodded, this was the time to interrupt. He looked down a moment, as if gathering his thoughts, then strode forward, Samus right behind him. She switched her beam to plasma, ready for when things would inevitably turn into a fight.

"Tartarus, stop." The Arbiter said simply. He stopped roughly ten feet away, waiting for them to turn and face him.

The Brute froze, as if surprised. He slowly turned, disbelief on his face. The other brutes followed suit, many growling and snarling at the newcomers. Samus kept her cannon up, ready for anything. The Arbiter however, took a step forward.

"Put down the Icon." He said quietly, waiting for the Brutes response. Tartarus shook his head slowly, his grip tightening.

"Put it down, and disobey the Hierarches?" He growled, seemingly mad. The Arbiter looked away a moment.

"There are things about Halo, even the Hierarches do not understand." He muttered, turning back. The Brutes all growled, looking ready to rip him apart. They started making their way forward, but Tartarus held up a hand, stopping them in their tracks.

"Take care Arbiter, what you speak is Heresy." He growled quietly, looking like he wanted to run forward and attack as well.

"Is it? Oracle, what is Halo's purpose?"

"Well collectively, the seven-"The monitor started, before Tartarus grabbed him and started shaking him. He snarled, spittle flying in all directions.

"Not another word!" He roared, as if the little ball would be afraid of him.

Samus was preparing to fire at this point, she had seen enough. But she was interrupted by another voice, one she was becoming all too familiar with. Johnson strode up beside them, large purple Beam Rifle aimed right at Tartarus. He wore a smile on his face, as if they were not fighting for the survival of the galaxy.

"Please, don't shake the lightbulb." He chuckled, stopping right next to Samus and giving her a wink. If it was meant to comfort her, it didn't work. And it sure didn't work on the Brutes, who now were very clearly angry at the sight of the smaller Human. They all grabbed weapons and made their way forward, murder in their eyes.

"If you want to keep your brain inside your head, I'd tell your boys to chill." He shouted, nodding down to his weapon.

Tartarus roared, calling his Brutes back to him, but he looked like he wanted to eat the man. Samus glanced at Johnson, and wondered how on earth he was smiling right now. She shook that thought away, and turned to the Arbiter, who had remained still throughout all this.

"You were saying?" She asked, making sure to keep one eye on the Brutes at all time. The Arbiter nodded and continued.

"The Sacred Rings, what are they?"

"Weapons of last resort, built by the Forerunners to eliminate potential Flood hosts, thereby rendering the parasite, harmless." The Monitor chirped, his tone not matching the conversation.

"And those who made the Rings? What happened to the Forerunners?" The Arbiter asked slowly, as if fearing what the Monitor would say next.

"After exhausting every other strategic option, my creators activated the Rings. They and all additional sentient life, in three radii of the galactic center, died, as planned." The Monitor concluded, before adding as an afterthought "would you, like to see the relevant data?"

Samus turned her full gaze on the Arbiter now. She had told him already all about the Forerunners and Halo, but to hear it from the Monitor must have been just as shocking. The Arbiter stood there, mandibles flexed slightly, eyes wide. He seemed speechless. She was also aware that Johnson had lowered his guard, his expression almost one of pity.

The Arbiter slowly looked up, his eyes sad. When he spoke, his voice almost broke.

"Tartarus…The Prophets have betrayed us."

She looked at Tartarus, and was shocked to see him with a similar expression. He looked down at the Monitor with something akin to disbelief, and for a moment, Samus thought that the Arbiter had been right to talk it out.

The Brute then snarled, hurling the monitor right at Johnson. She wasn't fast enough to push him away, but she didn't manage to grab him, both of them flying backwards. Samus flipped them, making sure she landed on the ground, and Johnson on top.

He quickly jumped up, and she jumped up as soon as she could. However, Tartarus had used this moment to force his Human captive to use the Index. His snarl turned into a grin, and as he threw the woman to the side, he grabbed his weapon, a large hammer.

"No Arbiter, the Great Journey has begun! And the Brutes, not the Elites shall be the Prophets escorts!" He roared in triumph, taking a combat stance.

Samus ran back to the Arbiter, who had drawn his sword. Johnson was right behind her, aiming his rifle, smile gone. She analyzed her opponents, as well as the woman, to see if she was injured. She seemed fine, according to scans, but Tartarus was a different story. He had some kind of gravitational distortion happening around him, meaning a lot of attacks were not going to even touch him.

Samus thought, trying to form a plan.

"Alright, Arbiter, take out these Brutes. I'm going to fight Tartarus. Johnson, you-"

"I'll get Miranda, then help you both out." He finished, eyeing the woman on the floor.

Samus nodded, before turning back to her foe. Tartarus was in a defensive stance, meaning she would have to come to him. She sighed, an idea already forming in her head, a really stupid one.

She took one last breath, then charged straight for him. He seemed shocked at first, then chuckled, preparing his hammer. She was closing the distance, her strides powerful and quick. Just as she reached him, and he seemed ready to swing, she activated her afterburners, what as she liked to call it, 'the speed booster'.

She flew right into his chest, a startled grunt affirming that she had knocked the wind out of him. Both of them went flying off the platform, falling down to a lower level. They both hit the ground hard, ending up sprawled on the floor. Samus groaned, shaking her head slowly. Her world was spinning slightly, from the impact on the floor. As she was getting up, her hairs stood on end.

She rolled to the side, just as a large, black hammer impacted right where she had been, a huge dent appearing in the floor. She rolled and shot up, turning to face the snarling white haired beast. She fired her Plasma beam, aiming right for his chest. However, her shots seemed to deflect, and Tartarus ran at her uninjured. She jumped away, grimacing. She had been afraid of this happening. Whatever the gravitational distortion was, it was capable of deflecting weapon shots, both her beams, and as she realized after firing a super missile, her ballistics too.

She ran behind a wall, then rolled as the wall exploded into pieces. That hammer could sure do damage, she thought. She couldn't get close, or that thing would rip her apart, but her weapons were next to useless here. How was she going to beat this thing?

She was shaken from her thoughts when Tartarus swung at her, narrowly missing. She launched a kick at his chest, causing him to grunt and take a step back. She went for it again, except this time he was ready for her.

He caught her ankle in his big hand, and grinned evilly. He swung her, much like he did his hammer, into a nearby wall, denting it. Her shield took considerable damage, and as she tried to wriggle free, he slammed her into the floor. She grunted, trying to tug her leg free. She noticed him raising the hammer again, and rolled to the side, dodging the strike.

He snarled, and went to strike again, this time getting much closer. He went for a third one, then Samus had had enough, and rolled into her Morph ball. She started to roll away, but the Brute lunged, managing to grab her once again. He threw her against a wall, taking another chunk of her shielding out.

She changed back to normal, taking deep breaths. If this kept up, he was going to kill her, she had to think of something. As she ducked and dodged him, she wracked her brains for what she could do. What weapon did she have at her disposal to combat his reflective shield?

She came up short, starting to get frustrated. The Brute roared, charging her once again. She dodged him with ease, however, as he passed her, he swung the hammer, which hit her right on the shoulder. Pain flared out of her upper arm, and as she held back a yell, she flew into a wall, collapsing.

She heard him chuckle, and then his heavy footsteps as he strode towards her. She tried to get up, but the pain from her shoulder was close to unbearable. He grabbed her by the head, and leered into her visor.

"Who's divine now?" He snarled, raising his hammer for the final blow. "I am invincible!"

And then she got it. She knew how to stop him, wishing the idea had come a lot sooner. She also hoped that this wouldn't end up killing everybody in the room.

"Well that's good, I kill invincible things on a weekly basis." She joked, her voice announcing the pain she was in. Then, she raised her cannon, and fired.

The shot, a small purple blob, flew right past the Brute, who burst into laughter when it missed. He stopped however, when Samus deactivated her helmet, and winked at him.

The little blob flew a few feet away, before stopping. Then, with a sudden roar, it expanded, growing larger and larger. As it grew, it started growling hungrily, sucking in everything lose nearby. Bodies, scattered weapons and debris, all of it fed the every growing black hole.

The 'Dark Burst' was a weapon Samus rarely used because of how unpredictable it was. It remained open only a few seconds, but caused horrible damage while it was active. And, as a black hole, negated all other gravitational pulls. Like a certain Brutes shields.

Both of them started sliding towards the hole, Tartarus letting go of her as he searched for a handhold. Samus let herself slide awhile, until she was sure Tartarus had forgotten her, then she swung her grapple beam towards a nearby Pylon, anchoring herself in place.

Tartarus saw this, and lunged for her. But by then they had slid too far apart, and his grab came up short. He yelped, realizing that he couldn't escape. He desperately clawed at anything to grab, but it was hopeless. As he reached the base of the ever hungry hole, he screamed.

His screams were bloodcurdling, terror plastered all over his face. The black hole slowly consumed him, his body distorting as the gravity inside both pulled and crushed him. And then he was gone, the black hole and Samus the only things left on the lower floor. Shortly after sucking in the Brute, it winked out of existence, and Samus hit the floor hard.

She groaned, the pain in her shoulder dulling, but still present, as well as all the other aches and pains she now had. She almost forgot where was, almost. With a grunt of effort, she got up and made her way towards the firing mechanism nearby. She spotted the Index floating in its center, and it was simple to reach inside and pull it out.

She sighed in relief, closing her fingers around the small key. She closed her eyes, silently thankful for the ancient aliens who had created her weapons. As she stood there, then floor began to rumble. Her eyes flashed open, looking this way and that trying to find the source. When nothing presented itself, she looked back to the firing mechanism, and was surprised to see it still charging. Before she could think to do anything, it fired.

A large blue beam shot up and out of the room, and Samus imagined it flying up through the sky. It hadn't been Halo firing, so what was it? As she pondered the question, a large hologram appeared before her, a series of larger and smaller rings present. Samus figured it was some kind of map, taking a step closer to examine it.

"You, lady, are one tough customer. Remind me to never get on your bad side." A smooth voice called out.

She turned, and saw the Johnson, Miranda and the Arbiter were all walking towards her, seeming to survive their scrap with the Brutes upstairs. She smirked at Johnson, whose smile grew wider at the sight of hers. Miranda however, looked cautious, even suspicious. Samus couldn't really blame her, but have her a nod. After a while, the Commander returned the nod, turning her attention towards the holograph.

"What is this?" She asked out loud, though not directed at anyone. Samus was about to suggest her theory, when a cheery voice jumped in.

"It's a beacon." The monitor chirped, floating down beside them all.

"What's it doing?" She asked cautiously.

"Communicating, and super luminal speeds, with a frequency of-"

"Communicating with what?" Miranda nearly shouted, looking annoyed at the long explanation.

"The other installations." The Monitor explained, before continuing. "Failsafe protocol. In the event of an unexpected shutdown, all remaining platforms, are now ready for remote activation."

Miranda whirled on the monitor, eyebrows creased, and her lips forming a frown.

"Remote activation? From here?"

"Don't be ridiculous." The Monitor seemed to scoff, causing Johnson to growl slightly.

"Listen Tinkerbell…" He started, before Miranda shushed him.

"Then where? Where would someone go to activate the other rings?" She asked the Monitor patiently. The small ball looked between them both, as if in disbelief.

It was in this moment that Samus had a memory, a memory that explained everything they needed to know.

"The Ark…they would go to the Ark." She said quietly. Everyone turned to look at her, eyebrows raised in looks of shock. The Monitor made a squeal like noise, and flew over to her.

"Oh splendid! A Reclaimer that actually knows proper information!" He seemed to beam, flying around her. He was pushed out of the way by a large hand, which came to rest on her shoulder. She looked up into the eyes of the Arbiter, who peered down at her.

"And where, Samus, is that?" He asked quietly.

She paused, more memories coming to her. She jumped when she remembered a vital detail, something that everyone here, and the people of Earth needed to know.

"It's located outside of our galaxy, accessible only by portal. I only know of one…and it's on Earth." She said, looking between each face.

Miranda's eyes flew wide. She turned to Johnson.

"We need to get back and warn the UNSC. Lord Hood needs this information!" She nearly shouted. She turned to make her way out, when the Monitor brought up a valid point.

"Splendid, do you have a ship ready?"

She stopped dead in her tracks.

"No…Johnson?" She asked, slowly turning to face him. He shook his head, but smiled and pointed a thumb at Samus.

"I don't, but this pretty lady does. And it's a beast." He chuckled. Miranda turned her gaze on Samus.

"Would you be willing to fly us back to Earth? It's of vital importance." She said, trying to keep her face calm, but worry visible in her eyes. Samus nodded, making her way towards the exit.

"I was planning of heading that way anyway, I'll gladly give you a lift." She stated, signaling Adam to meet them all outside. They all fell in behind her, and they all left the now eerily silent room to head home.

* * *

><p>"So Arbiter? What do you plan to do once we get to Earth?" Samus asked him, sitting in her pilots chair as the ship flew through slip space. The Arbiter grunted, staring out the window.<p>

"I plan to rally my people, and bring an end to the Prophets lies. I also plan on working with the Humans, if they will have us." He said simply, as if it would be easy.

She whistled, trying to keep the disbelief out of her face. He didn't turn to face her, so it didn't really matter in the end.

"Good luck with that, as for me…I don't know." She ended up saying truthfully.

"We could sure use a powerful, sexy ass kicker in the UNSC." Johnson called out from the back. He and Miranda were in her small kitchen, eating whatever they could find. Adam had been filling them in on what was what, and what it was like compared to regular food.

"She would have to go through a lot of customs first, she is a civilian…technically." Miranda said, emerging with a cup of 'coffee'. Johnson followed, also clutching a cup. They sat in seats not too far away. Samus shrugged.

"I'm not really the military type, but I would be glad to help." She responded, before an alarm flashed up on the screen.

"We're coming out of Slipspace now." She informed them. "Once we reach Earth, I'll need you both to direct me to where we need to go."

"Can do lady" Johnson said, sipping his drink.

The ship shook, and the windshield soon displayed the large blue sphere that was Earth in front of them. That, and a dozen or so UNSC ships lined up in front of them, arranged in an attack formation. The ships were all of varying sizes, but all were much bigger than the Gunship. Nobody moved, even when a voice crackled over the radio.

"Attention unidentified craft, you are in restricted UNSC space. Prepare to be Boarded, if you attempt anything suspicious, we will open fire.

Nobody said anything for the longest time. Until finally, as small boarding craft began to make their way over, Samus spoke up.

"Well shit."


End file.
